JPO Officially Added to PTO Priority Document Exchange Program

From the USPTO:

Effective on July 28,2007, the Japan Patent Office (JPO) will become the second foreign intellectual property office participating with the USPTO in a priority document exchange agreement (participating foreign intellectual property office) . . . Thus, the USPTO will have the ability to begin electronically retrieving JPO priority documents from the JPO through the Priority Document Exchange (PDX) system. Similarly, the JPO will also gain the ability to electronically retrieve US priority documents from the USPTO through the PDX system.

For US applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) on or after July 28,2007, the USPTO will automatically attempt to electronically retrieve a copy of any JPO priority document without the need for the applicant to file a request to retrieve in a separate document (e.g., form PTO/SB/38) if the US application claims foreign priority to the JPO application and identifies the JPO application in the oath or declaration under 37 CFR 1.63(c) or in an application data sheet under 37 CFR 1.76.

View the notice here (link).