SERVICE

  • Patent Support
    Protect ideas for making products. Our strong area are products, commodities, control equipment, thermoplastic resin / molding technology, civil engineering / building technology, IT systems / software, etc.
  • Design Support
    Protect the design of things (Appearance). Our strong area are industrial products, commodities, sports gear, various moldings, clothes, package labels, etc. To protect your design efficiently, we explain how you should register it.
  • Trademark Support
    Protect the naming, logo type and mark. Our strong area are manufacturing, IT, food and beverage, wholesale and retail, advertising, finance, healthcare and beauty, consulting, commerce and human resources.
  • IP Transfer Support
    If you have a patent, design, or trademark and your company name or address changes due to business transfer, merger, or office relocation, you need to make a change procedure to Japan Patent Office.
  • Foreign Support
    If you submit a patent already filed in Japan to foreign countries, or if you directly submit a patent in foreign countries other than Japan, obtain a patent in cooperation with the foreign lawyer / patent attorney who is affiliated.
  • Opinion
    We will provide opinions for business decisions, such as whether IP can be granted, a product doesn't infringe IP of other companies, office action can be eliminated or not, and second opinions.
  • Litigation Support
    We will negotiate with your competitors to solve problems on behalf of customers whose patents, designs and trademarks are imitated by competitors , and customers whose claims have been asked to withhold goods and services from them.
  • IP Project
    We support a project such as development of a product, design and naming whose patent, design and trademark can be granted, IP education for employees, and creation of internal IP rules, etc., in units of three months to six months.
  • Advisor
    Handling of IP of own company and other companies is important for corporate compliance. To pursue social responsibility (CSR) and to be a sustainable corporate management, IPRoom follow you on behalf of a non IP experienced lawyer.

Patent Support

Recommended

  • Individual inventor

    I don't want someone to copy low-tech products that doesn't exist.

    I would like to issue a patent before proposing to a company.

    I don't know whether it should be a patent or a utility model.

  • SME company

    I apply for a patent application jointly with a large company.

    I would like to proceed product development including a patent.

    I would like to apply for a patent for funding from a financial institution.

  • Large company

    I expand market share looking 5 years ahead.

    I increase the number of patent applications against competitors.

    Flexible support is required for a foreign application etc.

Flow of support

  • Step 0. Consultation

    Please feel free to contact me. Please use the inquiry form for customers using first time. We propose a solution for your problems. If providing business plans, product specifications, design drawings, competitor information, sample products, etc., we can deal with smoothly.

  • Step 1. Application procedure

    After Step 0, a draft application document will be prepared, approved by the customer, and submitted to Japan Patent Office. In the case of a utility model, there is no examination, and it ends in Step 1.

  • Step 2. Intermediate procedure 1

    Within three years after Step 1, we will request an examination of the application. If not, it is considered that the application has been withdrawn. If you would like to know the examination result quickly, we recommend you to request an early examination.

  • Step 3. Intermediate procedure 2

    If the examination result received in about 1 year (about 3 months after accelerated examination request) after the step 2 is an office action, we will create an argument / amendment within 60 days and submit it to Japan Patent Office. If the examination result is a patent assessment, intermediate procedure 2 will not be occurred.

  • Step 4. Registration procedure

    After Step 2 or 3 and if the examination result is decision of a patent grant, you can obtain a patent by paying the patent fee within 30 days. Please note that you will need to pay an annuity regularly to maintain your patent.

Design Support

Recommended

  • Product designer

    I apply for the Design Award but I do not want someone to copy it.

    I proceed design application before listing on a sales site.

    It is general design in general, but wants to keep its partly new design.

  • SME company

    Keep it as "Registered design” and want the client to feel relieved.

    I register new products outsourced to product designers.

    Do not know whether I should protect by patent or design.

  • Large company

    I protect the design variations of series products.

    I change the application from rejected patent to design.

    I protect new designs such as space design added by law revision.

Flow of support

  • Step 0. Consultation

    Please feel free to contact me. Please use the inquiry form for customers using first time. We propose a solution for your problems. If providing business plans, product specifications, design drawings, competitor information, sample products, etc., we can deal with smoothly.

  • Step 1. Application procedure

    After Step 0, a draft application document will be prepared, approved by the customer, and submitted to Japan Patent Office.

  • Step 2. Intermediate procedure

    If the examination result received in about half year after the step 2 is an office action, we will create an argument / amendment within 40 days and submit it to Japan Patent Office. If the examination result is a patent assessment, intermediate procedure 2 will not be occurred.

  • Step 3. Registration procedure

    After Step 2 or 3 and if the examination result is decision of grant, you can obtain a design by paying the official fee within 30 days. Please note that you will need to pay an annuity regularly to maintain your design.

Trademark Support

Recommended

  • Entrepreneur

    Someone filed for a trademark that is same as a company name.

    The site name has been imitated and the search engine ranks down.

    I want a registered service name that is easy to understand.

  • SME company

    I register the exclusive brand overseas as a trademark in Japan.

    I don't know whether I should a trademark letter or logo.

    The registered logo is different from the logo actually used.

  • Large company

    I select designated goods / services in view of the business model.

    I use ordinary names for trademark and marketing activities.

    I don't know whether a trademark should be renewed or not.

Flow of support

  • Step 0. Consultation

    Please feel free to contact me. Please use the inquiry form for customers using first time. We propose a solution for your problems. If providing business plans, competitor information, etc., we can deal with smoothly.

  • Step 1. Application procedure

    After Step 0, a draft application document will be prepared, approved by the customer, and submitted to Japan Patent Office.

  • Step 2. Rejected reasons for rejection

    If the examination result received in about 1 year after the step 2 is an office action, we will create an argument / amendment within 40 days and submit it to Japan Patent Office. If the examination result is a patent assessment, intermediate procedure 2 will not be occurred.

  • Step 3. Registration procedure

    After Step 2 or 3 and if the examination result is decision of grant, you can obtain a trademark by paying the official fee within 30 days. Please note that you will need to pay an annuity regularly to maintain your trademark.

IP Transfer Support

Recommended

  • Those who has transferred (transfer) the business

    When IP rights are transferred in connection with business, "Application for registration of transfer" that changes the name or/and address of the current company (= assignor, person obliged to register) to the name or/and address of the new company (= assignee, registrant) shall be submitted to JPO.

    This procedure requires a deed of assignment (Can be created separately) which certifies the transfer of patent right etc. from the current company to the new company.

  • Those who has merged (merge)

    When IP rights are transferred in connection with consolidation-type merger or absorption-type merger, "Application for registration of transfer due to merger" that changes the name or/and address of the disbanded company (= Successor, Person Obligated to Register) to the name or/and address of the merged company (= successor, registrant) shall be submitted to JPO

    This procedure requires a certificate of registered matters of the successor stating the fact of merger or a certificate of closed registered matters of the predecessor.

    If a company after absorption-type merger (= surviving company) changes its name or/and address, it shall submit "Application for registration of change of indication of registered holder" to JPO.

  • Heir

    If the deceased (= decedent) had IP rights, the heir submits "Application for registration of transfer due to inheritance" to JPO in order to inherit these rights.

    This procedure requires a copy of your family register and an agreement of division of inheritance to prove the relationship between the decedent and the heir.

    The IP rights to be inherited include rights that arose before registration, such as the right to obtain a patent and provisional non-exclusive license, and rights that arose after registration, such as a patent right, non-exclusive licenses and pledges.

  • Those who want to change the name during IP pending (before registration)

    For example, if a group company conducts a business after filing a patent application related to a certain business, it submits "Notice of change of name of applicant" to JPO to change the group company from the current company (applicant) to the applicant.

    This procedure requires a deed of assignment (can be created separately) which certifies the transfer of the right to a patent from the current company to the group company.

  • Those who has changed (change) company name or/and address

    This procedure requires "Application for registration of change of indication of registered holder" to JPO, if you change your company name or/and address due to your office move.

Foreign Support

Recommended

  • Those who want to consider doing business in several foreign countries

    If you have not decided which foreign country you are going to do business in, but you want to do business in at least one foreign country in the future, I recommend PCT international application which has a chance to file a patent application in multiple foreign countries.

    If you file a PCT international application, you have up to two and a half years until you finally decide on a foreign country where you want to protect your business with a patent. In other words, you can spend two and a half years reviewing your business strategy in foreign countries.

    All procedures relating to PCT international application are fully supported by the IPRoom. On the other hand, IPRoom and the representatives of each country work together to support the procedures concerning the patent application to foreign countries that have been decided.

    "PCT" of PCT international application stands for Patent Cooperation Treaty. By submitting a single application, the same effect can be obtained as if the application had been filed simultaneously in all PCT member countries.

  • Those who decide which country to do business in

    If you do not need the two and a half years grace period, which is an advantage of PCT international application, I recommend you to file a patent application directly in a foreign country where you do business.

    IPRoom and the representative of each country work together to support the procedures related to a patent application to foreign country.

Opinion

Recommended

  • Those who want to know if it can be patented

    Why don't you just leave the idea behind? Even if you don't have the real thing, you can get a patent if you have an idea.

    To see if you can get a patent, you need to see if someone else has already published an idea that's equivalent or similar to your idea.

    Specifically, we use the JPO's patent search database (J-PlatPat) and Internet search engines to search for similar ideas by combining keywords.

    At first glance, it seems like a similar idea, but it's often the case that it's possible to get a patent because it's actually different.

    The concept is the same for utility model, design and trademark registrations.

  • Those who are concerned about a competitor's patent infringement

    It's likely that a competitor's patent which your product and service might be infringing has been found when development is complete and they are launched. 
    Ideally, you should check out your competitors' patents earlier, but the timing isn't too late. After mass production or service, the damage will be bigger.

    If a competitor's patent is found, we compare the composition of this patent (claim) with the composition of the product after development and analyze whether it is infringed or not.

    Please note that even if all the configurations of the patent and the product are not the same, if some of the configurations are the same or are close to each other, you may infringe on the patent of competitors.

    The concept is the same for utility model, design and trademark registrations.

  • Those who want to invalidate competitor's patent

    If you are suspected of patent infringement by a competitor, there is a countermeasure to invalidate the patent. If the patent becomes invalid, there will be no possibility of infringement.

    To invalidate a patent, a patent invalidation trial must be filed with JPO, but it must be supported and asserted that the patent has a ground for invalidation (Reasons that should not be established).

    The main reasons for the invalidity of a patent are that it is not new (lack of novelty) or has not progressed (lack of inventive step). Documents that have been published prior to the filing date of the patent application and contain information similar to that of the patent are necessary to support this.

    In practice, prior to being suspected of patent infringement by a competitor, search for the above documents and organize the reasons for invalidation based on the found documents. This makes it easier to file a patent invalidation appeal in an emergency.

    The concept is the same for utility model, design and trademark registrations.

  • Those who want to know whether the official action can be resolved

    If an examination result of a patent application is the official action, the patent cannot be granted unless it is resolved.

    The main reasons for the official action is that it is not new (lack of inventive step) or has not progressed (lack of novelty), and it is judged by whether it is the same as or similar to a document published before the filing date of the patent application discovered by the examiner and containing the contents close to the patent.

    Therefore, in order to eliminate the official action, it is necessary to clarify the differences from the above documents and to insist that it is not easy to find the differences based on the above documents. For this purpose, it is necessary to amend the claims in an amendment or to explain the above differences in an argument.

    The concept is the same for utility model, design and trademark registrations.

  • Those who want to know whether a request for examination should be filed

    If you do not request examination within 3 years after the filing of a patent application, not only will the application not be examined but also will be treated as withdrawn.

    The timing of a request for examination is when you expand your business, when you are imitated by a competitor, or when you want to promote the early acquisition of a patent.

    However, it is not rare that a patent cannot be obtained only because a very similar prior art document was found during examination.

    Therefore, it is one way to enhance the cost-effectiveness to investigate whether there are similar prior art documents before filing a request for examination of an application and to consider the timing of filing a request for examination of an application according to the results of the search.  

  • Want a second opinion?

    Have you ever consulted a patent attorney about the above, but since the answer was negative, you gave up unwillingly?

    The view of a patent attorney depends on the field of expertise and experience. They take a pessimistic view in order to avoid excessive expectations, or take a risky and challenging view.

    Ultimately, it depends on the relationship of trust with the patent attorney, but it is also a reasonable management decision to get a second opinion from a different patent attorney before making a decision.

    A second opinion is also effective in determining the characteristics of a patent attorney and whether he/she is good or bad.

Litigation Support

Recommended

  • If you are concerned about imitating competitors

    The more popular a product or a service is, the more imitated it is by competitors. By imitating, competitors can make money without spending time and money developing products or services.

    In this case, you need to identify what and how competitors copy (= what you want them to stop) and make your requirement clear.

    If your competitors copy what it has been granted as IP rights, it will be easier for us to make your requirement, but you have to be careful because it may not be the case.

    The concept is the same for utility model, design and trademark registrations.

  • If you are having trouble with warnings your competitor

    Even if you don't know your competitor has a patent, your competitor will send you a warning to stop your Infringement.

    If you receive a warning letter from a competitor, you need to check the content first. What rights do competitors demand?

    This action will change depending on the content of the warning. The point is to respond to the other party's request without excess or deficiency. If you do something other than request, you may be at a disadvantage, so you need to be careful.

    The concept is the same for utility model, design and trademark registrations.

IP Project

Recommended

  • Want to get Blue Ocean?

    You can develop products and services that can be patented, design that can be registered, and name that can be registered as a trademark.

    In the Blue Ocean market, which has not yet been harassed by competitors, it is recommended to consider obtaining patents while planning and developing, because it is too late before and after the completion of development or the release of product.

    Specifically, in the PDCA cycle of planning and development, we will incorporate  survey on the feasibility of obtaining patent, etc. using the public database of JPO, and prepare a document for an application.

    This enables us to benchmark our products against competitors based on published patents and other publications, thereby improving development efficiency.

  • Want to educate employees about IP?

    IP education has become such a fundamental field that even elementary and junior high school students are given it.

    How company would it be if each and every employee became more aware of the company's IP activities?

    Protecting new ideas, investigating the rights of competitors, and managing confidential information all have the potential to entrench a culture in which the actions essential to the company's stable management are voluntary.

    It is recommended that IP education should not be aimed at rapid improvement in business performance, but should be continued with the aim of achieving sustainable corporate management.

  • If your company does not have your IP rules

    Although there are employment rules, are there any rules regarding the handling of employees' ideas and internal confidential information?

    Ideas for new products and services that employees have come up with in the course of their work fall under the category of inventions invented by employees under the Patent Law. If these ideas are not dealt with in accordance with company rules, it may lead to problems between labor and management in the future.

    If there is no definition, management method, access authority, or agreement with employees about confidential information within the company, the company will lose its important intangible assets, which may affect not only sustainable growth but also the company's survival.

    We will support the creation of rules on IP based on the company's scale, growth rate, and future potential. 

Advisor

Recommended

  • As an external IP department for sustainable growth of customers

    If there is no person in charge of IP within your company, there is a shortage of person in charge of IP within the company, the legal counsel has insufficient experience with IP, or you want to set up IP department within the company, we can easily give advice on IP, including our services, thereby contribute not only avoiding problems with IP but also the sustainable growth of your company.