Patent

A patent attorney will conduct a detailed hearing on the specifics of your invention, technology, its business significance, and your specific requirements. At this stage, we extract the core points of the invention and propose/discuss strategies for acquiring the strongest possible patent rights, including domestic and international filing policies.

Upon your request, we conduct a detailed search for prior art literature similar to the invention using the Patent Information Platform and other resources. This search is performed to confirm the novelty and inventive step before filing, and to preliminarily assess the possibility of obtaining a patent. Based on the results, we determine the necessity of filing and the direction for drafting the specification.

Based on the consultation and search results, the patent attorney drafts the application documents, including the claims, specification, and drawings. After drafting, we review the documents with you to adjust any discrepancies or necessary amendments. Once the final content is agreed upon, we formally file the patent application with the Japan Patent Office (JPO).

As a result of examination by the JPO Examiner, a Notice of Reasons for Refusal (Office Action) may be issued. In response, the patent attorney analyzes the differences in opinion with the Examiner and prepares a legally grounded “Statement of Opinion” and an “Amendment” to adjust the scope of claims, aiming to secure the patent right.

If a notice of allowance (Decision to Grant a Patent) is received from the JPO following the Office Action response, we proceed with the payment of the registration fee, which is a requirement for the patent right to take effect. The patent right is formally established and registered upon the payment of this fee to the JPO.

Even after the patent right is granted, we handle the administration and payment procedures for annuity fees (maintenance fees) required to keep the right in force. Additionally, upon your request, we provide continuous support for the utilization and protection of the IP, such as assisting with licensing agreements to leverage the acquired patent rights in alignment with your business strategy.