--- title: "New Matter and “Final” Office Actions in Japan: Amendment Limits Under Article 17-2 — What You Can Still Change" description: "When and how claims may be amended in Japanese patent prosecution: the timing rules of Art. 17-2(1), the new-matter test of Art. 17-2(3) (“new technical matter”), the unity-shift rule of 17-2(4), and the four narrow categories allowed after a final Notice of Reasons for Refusal or with an appeal (17-2(5)) plus the independent-patentability condition. Includes the dismissal of amendment (Art. 53) and how divisional filing fits in." image: https://www.evorix.jp/hubfs/blog-thumbnails/face-japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments.png --- [Skip to content](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments#main-content) - [English](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments) - [Chinese](https://www.evorix.jp/zh/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments) - [Deutsch (German)](https://www.evorix.jp/de/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments) - [Español (Spanish)](https://www.evorix.jp/es/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments) - [Français (French)](https://www.evorix.jp/fr/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments) - [Português (Portuguese)](https://www.evorix.jp/pt/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments) - [한국어 (Korean)](https://www.evorix.jp/ko/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments) English Show submenu for translations [![知的財産事務所エボリクス/EVORIX/大阪/特許・商標・意匠登](https://www.evorix.jp/hs-fs/hubfs/%E7%9F%A5%E7%9A%84%E8%B2%A1%E7%94%A3%E4%BA%8B%E5%8B%99%E6%89%80%E3%82%A8%E3%83%9C%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9%20(500%20%C3%97%20250%20px).png?width=500&height=250&name=%E7%9F%A5%E7%9A%84%E8%B2%A1%E7%94%A3%E4%BA%8B%E5%8B%99%E6%89%80%E3%82%A8%E3%83%9C%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9%20(500%20%C3%97%20250%20px).png)](https://www.evorix.jp/) - 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[한국어 (Korean)](https://www.evorix.jp/ko/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments) English Show submenu for translations - [Contact](https://www.evorix.jp/en/inquiry) [Contact](https://www.evorix.jp/en/inquiry) 2026/09/03 # New Matter and “Final” Office Actions in Japan: Amendment Limits Under Article 17-2 — What You Can Still Change ![Picture of Takefumi Sugiura – Japanese Patent Attorney](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/4ef5aa3d824852243e3f9a0ef7c7a511) [Takefumi Sugiura – Japanese Patent Attorney](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/author/takefumi-sugiura-japanese-patent-attorney) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments) ![New Matter and “Final” Office Actions in Japan: Amendment Limits Under Article 17-2 — What You Can Still Change](https://www.evorix.jp/hubfs/blog-thumbnails/face-japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments.png) Foreign counsel handling a Japanese Office Action are often surprised twice: first that an amendment which would be routine at home is refused as **new matter**, and then that after a “final” Notice almost nothing can be changed. Both come from one provision — **Article 17-2** of the Patent Act — which sets when amendments may be made, what they may contain, and how narrow they must be at the final stage. This article sets out the rules in the order they bite. Table of Contents 1. [When amendments are allowed (Art. 17-2(1))](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments#a1) 2. [The new-matter test (Art. 17-2(3))](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments#a2) 3. [The unity-shift rule (Art. 17-2(4))](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments#a3) 4. [After a final Notice or with an appeal: the four permitted amendments (Art. 17-2(5), (6))](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments#a4) 5. [Dismissal of amendment (Art. 53) and its consequence](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments#a5) 6. [Strategy: first response versus final stage, and the divisional route](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments#a6) 7. [FAQ](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments#faq) ## 1. When Amendments Are Allowed (Art. 17-2(1)) The description, claims and drawings may be amended at any time before the decision to grant is served — except that once a Notice of Reasons for Refusal has been received, amendments are allowed only (i) within the period designated in the first Notice, (ii) within the period designated in a notice under Art. 48-7, (iii) within the period designated in the last Notice where a further Notice was issued, and (iv) together with the filing of an appeal against a decision of refusal. Outside these windows the claims are frozen. ## 2. The New-Matter Test (Art. 17-2(3)) Every amendment must stay within the matters described in the description, claims and drawings as originally filed (for a foreign-language application, the translation, or the original where a corrected translation is filed). The Guidelines phrase the test as whether the amendment introduces a **new technical matter** relative to the technical matters a skilled person would derive from the original disclosure as a whole. Consequences for practice: - Intermediate generalisation — lifting one feature out of an embodiment and claiming it without the features it was disclosed with — is the classic new-matter finding - Numerical ranges not disclosed as such are risky even if the endpoints appear separately - Correcting an obvious error, or clarifying wording whose meaning is evident from the original, is not new matter ## 3. The Unity-Shift Rule (Art. 17-2(4)) When claims are amended after a Notice, the invention examined in that Notice and the invention as amended must still form a group satisfying the unity requirement of Art. 37. Replacing the examined invention with a different one that shares no special technical feature — a “shift amendment” — is not permitted; the proper vehicle for a different invention is a divisional application. ## 4. After a Final Notice or With an Appeal: the Four Permitted Amendments (Art. 17-2(5), (6)) | Permitted purpose (Art. 17-2(5)) | Notes | | --- | --- | | **(i) Deletion of a claim** | Always available | | **(ii) Restriction of the claims** | Only by limiting matters that specify the invention, and only where the industrial field and the problem to be solved of the claim remain the same (“limited restriction”). The restricted claim must also be independently patentable (Art. 17-2(6)) | | **(iii) Correction of clerical errors** | — | | **(iv) Clarification of an unclear statement** | Only as to the matters indicated in the Notice | Adding a feature is not always “restriction” After a final Notice, adding a feature that changes the problem the claim solves, or that does not limit an existing matter specifying the invention, falls outside category (ii) — even though the claim becomes narrower in the ordinary sense. The amendment is then dismissed under Art. 53 (Section 5), and the case proceeds on the previous claims. ## 5. Dismissal of Amendment (Art. 53) and Its Consequence Where an amendment made after a final Notice, or together with an appeal, breaches Art. 17-2(3) to (6), the examiner must dismiss it by a reasoned written decision (Art. 53). No separate objection lies against the dismissal; it can be contested only within an appeal against the decision of refusal (Art. 53(3)). In practice a dismissed amendment means the application is judged on the claims as they stood before, so a final-stage amendment should be drafted to be clearly within one of the four categories. ## 6. Strategy: First Response Versus Final Stage, and the Divisional Route Because the first Notice is the only stage at which the claims can be reshaped freely (subject to new matter and unity), the first response should already contain the fallback positions — dependent claims drawn to the features most likely to distinguish, so that a later final-stage amendment can be a simple *limited restriction* to one of them. Where a different claim scope is needed after the final stage, file a [divisional application](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-decision-of-refusal-next-steps-appeal-divisional) within the windows of Art. 44 rather than fight the amendment limits. For the argument side of an Art. 29(2) rejection see our [inventive step guide](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-inventive-step-article-29-2); for deadlines, the [Office Action hub](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-response). ## Frequently Asked Questions What is the test for new matter in Japan? Under the Examination Guidelines, an amendment adds new matter if it introduces a new technical matter in relation to the matters described in the original description, claims and drawings — “matters described” meaning the technical matters a skilled person would derive by considering the entire original disclosure. Correcting an obvious error, or clarifying an unclear passage whose meaning is evident from the original, does not introduce new matter. What makes a Notice of Reasons for Refusal “final”? A second (or later) Notice issued after the applicant’s amendment in response to the first Notice, where the new ground arose because of that amendment, is issued as a final Notice. After it, amendments to the claims are limited to the four purposes of Art. 17-2(5). What are the four permitted amendments after a final Notice? (i) Deletion of a claim; (ii) restriction of the claims by limiting matters that specify the invention, provided the field of industrial application and the problem to be solved remain the same (so-called limited restriction); (iii) correction of clerical errors; (iv) clarification of an unclear statement, limited to the matters indicated in the Notice. A restricting amendment must also leave the claim independently patentable (Art. 17-2(6)). What happens if an amendment breaches these rules? After a final Notice or with an appeal, a non-compliant amendment is dismissed by a decision of the examiner (Art. 53). The dismissal cannot be contested separately, only within an appeal against the decision of refusal. The application is then examined on the claims as they stood before the dismissed amendment. Can I broaden claims again by filing a divisional? A divisional application (Art. 44) is examined on its own claims, but it may not add new matter either: its content must be within the original disclosure of the parent. It is the usual route when the parent is confined by final-stage limits and a different claim scope is wanted. FOR FOREIGN COUNSEL & APPLICANTS ### Facing a JPO deadline on a Japanese case? Send us the Office Action or the case details — EVORIX handles national phase entry, patent administrator appointment and Office Action responses for overseas applicants. Free assessment and a fixed quote within 3-5 business days. [Upload the notice — deadline check & fixed-fee quote →](https://www.evorix.jp/en/japan-patent-national-phase-office-action) [Email contact@evorix.jp](mailto:contact@evorix.jp) Related Articles - [Missed the 30-Month Deadline for Japan? PCT National Phase Restoration Under the “Unintentional” Standard (Since April 2023)](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-pct-missed-30-month-deadline-restoration) - [Inventive Step Rejections in Japan (Article 29(2)): How the JPO Examiner Builds the Argument — and How to Take It Apart](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-inventive-step-article-29-2) - [Support, Clarity and Enablement Rejections in Japan (Article 36): Fixing Description-Requirement Objections in a National Phase Case](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-description-requirements-article-36) - [“Not an Invention” Rejections in Japan (Article 29(1) Main Paragraph): Software, Business Methods and the Hardware-Resource Test](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-eligibility-software-article-29-1) - [Received a Decision of Refusal from the JPO? Your Three Options — Appeal (3 Months + 60 Days for Overseas Applicants), Pre-Appeal Reexamination, Divisional](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-decision-of-refusal-next-steps-appeal-divisional) - [JPO Office Action for Overseas Applicants: Deadline, Extensions, Options & Cost](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-response) - [PCT National Phase Entry Japan: Deadline, Restoration, Patent Administrator, Costs](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/pct-national-phase-entry-japan) - [Multi-Multi Claims in Japan: Which Applications Are Affected](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/multi-multi-claim-japan-entry) - [Costs for National Phase Entry in Japan](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-national-phase-entry-cost) Disclaimer This article provides general information about Japanese patent practice as of September 2026 and does not constitute legal advice. Periods, fees and examination practice may change, and the deadline for a specific case depends on the documents actually issued. Please consult a qualified Japanese patent attorney about your specific matter. Sources - Japan Patent Act (Japanese text) — [laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/334AC0000000121](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/334AC0000000121) - Regulations under the Patent Act, Art. 38-6-2 — [laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/335M50000400010](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/335M50000400010) - JPO: extension of response periods (practice from April 1, 2016) — [www.jpo.go.jp/system/patent/shinsa/letter/kyozetu\_entyou\_160401.html](https://www.jpo.go.jp/system/patent/shinsa/letter/kyozetu_entyou_160401.html) - JPO: relief after expiry of periods under the “unintentional” standard (updated May 18, 2026) — [www.jpo.go.jp/system/laws/rule/guideline/kyusai\_method2.html](https://www.jpo.go.jp/system/laws/rule/guideline/kyusai_method2.html) - JPO Formality Examination Manual 04.10 (PDF) — [www.jpo.go.jp/system/laws/rule/guideline/hoshiki-shinsa-binran/kaitei/document/index/h2904\_04\_10.pdf](https://www.jpo.go.jp/system/laws/rule/guideline/hoshiki-shinsa-binran/kaitei/document/index/h2904_04_10.pdf) - JPO Examination Guidelines, Part III Ch. 2 Sec. 2 “Inventive Step” (PDF) — [www.jpo.go.jp/system/laws/rule/guideline/patent/tukujitu\_kijun/document/index/03\_0202bm.pdf](https://www.jpo.go.jp/system/laws/rule/guideline/patent/tukujitu_kijun/document/index/03_0202bm.pdf) - JPO Examination Guidelines, Part IV Ch. 2 “Amendment Adding New Matter” (PDF) — [www.jpo.go.jp/system/laws/rule/guideline/patent/tukujitu\_kijun/document/index/04\_0200bm.pdf](https://www.jpo.go.jp/system/laws/rule/guideline/patent/tukujitu_kijun/document/index/04_0200bm.pdf) - JPO Examination Guidelines, Part III Ch. 1 “Eligibility for Patent” (PDF) — [www.jpo.go.jp/system/laws/rule/guideline/patent/tukujitu\_kijun/document/index/03\_0100bm.pdf](https://www.jpo.go.jp/system/laws/rule/guideline/patent/tukujitu_kijun/document/index/03_0100bm.pdf) - JPO Examination Handbook, Annex B Ch. 1 “Computer Software-Related Inventions” (PDF) — [www.jpo.go.jp/system/laws/rule/guideline/patent/handbook\_shinsa/document/index/app\_b1.pdf](https://www.jpo.go.jp/system/laws/rule/guideline/patent/handbook_shinsa/document/index/app_b1.pdf) ## Related posts [![Support, Clarity and Enablement Rejections in Japan (Article 36): Fixing Description-Requirement Objections in a National Phase Case](https://www.evorix.jp/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-thumbnails/face-japan-patent-office-action-description-requirements-article-36.png?height=200&name=face-japan-patent-office-action-description-requirements-article-36.png)](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-description-requirements-article-36) ## [Support, Clarity and Enablement Rejections in Japan (Article 36): Fixing Description-Requirement Objections in a National Phase Case](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-description-requirements-article-36) ![Picture of Takefumi Sugiura – Japanese Patent Attorney](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/4ef5aa3d824852243e3f9a0ef7c7a511) [Takefumi Sugiura – Japanese Patent Attorney](https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/author/takefumi-sugiura-japanese-patent-attorney) 2026/09/03 Not every Japanese Office Action is about prior art. 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Includes the dismissal of amendment (Art. 53) and how divisional filing fits in.", "headline" : "New Matter and “Final” Office Actions in Japan: Amendment Limits Under Article 17-2 — What You Can Still Change", "image" : [ { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.evorix.jp/hubfs/blog-thumbnails/face-japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments.png" } ], "inLanguage" : "en", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.evorix.jp/en/blog/japan-patent-office-action-new-matter-final-oa-amendments", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "name" : "EVORIX IP Firm", "url" : "https://www.evorix.jp" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "FAQPage", "mainEntity" : [ { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Under the Examination Guidelines, an amendment adds new matter if it introduces a new technical matter in relation to the matters described in the original description, claims and drawings — “matters described” meaning the technical matters a skilled person would derive by considering the entire original disclosure. Correcting an obvious error, or clarifying an unclear passage whose meaning is evident from the original, does not introduce new matter." }, "name" : "What is the test for new matter in Japan?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "A second (or later) Notice issued after the applicant’s amendment in response to the first Notice, where the new ground arose because of that amendment, is issued as a final Notice. After it, amendments to the claims are limited to the four purposes of Art. 17-2(5)." }, "name" : "What makes a Notice of Reasons for Refusal “final”?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "(i) Deletion of a claim; (ii) restriction of the claims by limiting matters that specify the invention, provided the field of industrial application and the problem to be solved remain the same (so-called limited restriction); (iii) correction of clerical errors; (iv) clarification of an unclear statement, limited to the matters indicated in the Notice. A restricting amendment must also leave the claim independently patentable (Art. 17-2(6))." }, "name" : "What are the four permitted amendments after a final Notice?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "After a final Notice or with an appeal, a non-compliant amendment is dismissed by a decision of the examiner (Art. 53). The dismissal cannot be contested separately, only within an appeal against the decision of refusal. The application is then examined on the claims as they stood before the dismissed amendment." }, "name" : "What happens if an amendment breaches these rules?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "A divisional application (Art. 44) is examined on its own claims, but it may not add new matter either: its content must be within the original disclosure of the parent. It is the usual route when the parent is confined by final-stage limits and a different claim scope is wanted." }, "name" : "Can I broaden claims again by filing a divisional?" } ] } ```