Requirements for Unity of Application - Japan Patent Office

3.3 Relationship under Patent Law Section 37(iii)
The relationship under Patent Law Section 37(iii) is that the relationship between the
specified invention of a “product” and the related inventions falls under the relationship
between the product and “processes for manufacturing said product, processes for using said
product, processes for handling said product, machines, instruments, equipment or other
means for producing said product, products solely utilizing specific properties of said product,
or products for handling said product.”
3.3.1 Process of Manufacturing the Product, and Machines, Instruments, Equipment or
Other Things for Manufacturing the Product
The process or the product of the related invention is what is used to change the raw
material or semi-finished material etc. into the product of the specified invention.
“Other things,” includes ,except the “equipment,” catalyst or microbes etc. that is used on
another raw material or semi-finished material etc. to use its function to change them to obtain
the product.
When the “the process of manufacturing” or “machines, instrument, equipment and
others” are appropriate for manufacturing of the specified invention, the unity requirement is
satisfied even if they can be used to manufacture products other than the product indicated as
the specified invention.
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