Applications & Prosecution
Preparation and filing of Japanese design applications, followed by prosecution support.
Designs
Design Protection in Japan
Practical support for protecting product appearance and coordinating Japanese design matters with your international portfolio.
Supporting overseas professionals
Clear Instructions. Practical Recommendations.
We work with overseas IP firms and international companies to provide coordinated support in Japan. We clarify the requested scope, explain the available options, and keep you informed in English throughout each matter.
Our designs services
How We Can Assist
Drawings & Filing Materials
Review of drawings, photographs, and supporting materials for the intended design filing.
Office Action Responses
Analysis of JPO objections and preparation of responses based on your objectives and instructions.
Design Searches
Design searches and analysis to inform filing and clearance decisions.
Japanese Design Options
Advice on design filing options, including partial and related designs, where appropriate to the matter.
Hague Designations
Support with international design registrations designating Japan and related JPO proceedings.
Our process
From Instruction to Completion
Instructions & Review
We review your instructions, relevant documents, objectives, and deadlines.
Scope & Confirmation
We confirm the requested work, costs, required information, and proposed approach.
Action in Japan
We prepare filings, coordinate translations, and handle the agreed procedures.
Reporting & Follow-up
We report developments in English and coordinate decisions and next steps.
Design fees
Clear Fees for Japanese Design Applications
Standard total: JPY 134,500 for one design from filing to registration, including the first-year official registration fee. Professional fees and JPO official fees are shown separately.
| Procedure | Professional fee | JPO official fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filing one design application | 80,000 | 16,000 | 96,000 |
| Registration, including the first-year annuity | 30,000 | 8,500 | 38,500 |
| Total from filing to registration | 110,000 | 24,500 | 134,500 |
Scope: One design, a direct Japanese application based on complete instructions and supplied drawings suitable for filing with routine format adjustments, and registration with the first-year annuity. Office action analysis and responses, translation, new drawings or substantive drawing revisions, special procedures, later annuities, applicable tax, and agreed payment or courier charges are excluded. Filing costs are payable before filing; registration costs are payable if the application proceeds to registration. Registration is not guaranteed.
Japanese consumption tax: The totals assume that the export exemption applies to the services supplied to the overseas client. Professional fees exclude any applicable tax. Where the exemption does not apply, the quotation will state the applicable tax.
Currency: Our base currency is JPY. USD quotations are available on request and will state the exchange rate, validity period, payment currency, and any payment charges.
Existing matters: Previously agreed fees continue to apply to accepted matters.
Included services
What Our Standard Fees Cover
Filing: JPY 80,000
- Review of filing instructions, applicant and designer information, and supplied views for consistency
- Routine formatting of supplied drawings without changing the depicted design
- Preparation and electronic filing of one Japanese design application
- Priority claim without an additional professional fee; any necessary translation, document procurement, or special procedure is quoted separately
- English filing report and electronic copies of filed documents
- Routine English correspondence and forwarding of JPO office actions without analysis or comments
Registration: JPY 30,000
- English report of the notice of allowance
- Payment of the instructed official registration fee
- Registration completion report and electronic delivery of the design registration certificate
- Docketing of the next annuity payment deadline
Our professional fee for the registration payment is JPY 30,000 per procedure for one design, even when several years of annuities are paid together. The JPO fee increases according to the years covered. This registration fee is not charged again as a separate annuity handling fee for the same payment procedure.
Drawings & additional work
Clear Scope Before Additional Work Begins
Routine Format Adjustments: Included
Routine adjustments to file format, page layout, image size, resolution, and view-label positioning are included where they can be made from the supplied files without recreating views or changing the design. We check whether the supplied materials are suitable for filing.
New Drawings & Substantive Revisions: Separate
Creating views from photographs, CAD data, or sketches; drawing missing views; correcting inconsistent geometry; or preparing solid and broken lines to define a partial design requires separate work. We confirm the required scope and provide a quotation before starting. Drawing-label translation is also separate.
| Service | Professional fee | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Office action analysis with comments | 20,000 | Charged when analysis and comments are requested. Forwarding the notice without comments is included. |
| Office action response | 20,000–100,000 for response preparation and filing | Where analysis and a response are both instructed, we provide one combined estimate covering both components before work begins. The response range alone is not the combined total. Substantial translation or drawing work is separately identified in the estimate. |
| Voluntary amendment | 20,000 | Additional translation, drawing creation, or substantive drawing revisions are quoted separately. |
| Request for expedited examination | 50,000 | Subject to eligibility and confirmation of the necessary supporting materials. |
| English-to-Japanese technical translation | 30 per English word | Required translation scope and estimated cost are confirmed in advance. |
| Drawing preparation including translation | 3,000 per drawing | Standard work under our fee schedule; newly created views and substantive revisions require a scope-specific quotation. |
| Searches, strategic advice & expert opinions | 40,000 per hour | Scope and estimated hours are confirmed in advance. |
| Appeals, special procedures, recordals & Hague matters | Quotation on request | The direct Japanese filing total above does not apply to Hague designations or subsequent Hague proceedings. |
One clear office action estimate: Our estimate states the combined cost of the instructed analysis and response, together with any required official fees and separately identified translation or drawing work. We seek your instructions before starting additional work. A new office action or an expanded scope requires a further estimate.
Each additional design is treated as a separate design for fee purposes. Please send the number of designs and proposed filing strategy so that we can provide a matter-specific quotation.
Annuities
Annual Fees & Combined Payments
Later annuities are separate from the standard JPY 134,500 total. Our professional fee for payment and docketing the next deadline is JPY 30,000 per payment procedure for one design, whether one year or several years are paid together.
| Years paid in one procedure | Professional fee | JPO official fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 2 or year 3, paid individually | 30,000 | 8,500 | 38,500 |
| Years 2–3 paid together | 30,000 | 17,000 | 47,000 |
| Any single year from year 4 to year 25 | 30,000 | 16,900 | 46,900 |
| Years 4–6 paid together | 30,000 | 50,700 | 80,700 |
Paying the first three years at registration: If instructed to pay years 1–3 together, the registration-stage payment is JPY 55,500 (professional fee JPY 30,000 plus JPO fees JPY 25,500). The total from filing to registration is then JPY 151,500, instead of JPY 134,500. No additional handling fee is charged for including years 2–3 in that same payment procedure.
Official fees are JPY 8,500 per year for years 1–3 and JPY 16,900 per year for years 4–25. The 25-year schedule applies to applications filed on or after April 1, 2020. We confirm the applicable schedule and payment years for each matter. The examples cover ordinary timely payments; late-payment charges and special procedures are separate.
Official fees are charged at the JPO rates applicable when payment is made. View the JPO fee schedule
Getting started
Information to Include With Your Instructions
- Applicant and designer details
- Drawings or photographs showing the design
- Identification of the product or article
- Priority details, where applicable
- Details of any publication, sale, or disclosure
- Intended filing route, exact deadline, and requested scope
For an initial inquiry, please provide a non-confidential outline. Send confidential materials only after we have confirmed that we can accept the matter.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the standard total of JPY 134,500 include?
It includes filing one direct Japanese design application and registration with the first-year annuity, based on complete instructions and supplied drawings suitable for filing with routine format adjustments. Office action analysis and responses, translation, new drawings or substantive revisions, later annuities, applicable tax, and agreed payment charges are separate.
Can several years of annuities be paid together?
Yes. For one design, our payment and docketing fee is JPY 30,000 per procedure regardless of the number of years paid together. For example, paying years 1–3 at registration results in a total of JPY 151,500 from filing to registration, including official fees.
How are office action fees estimated?
We provide one combined estimate for the instructed analysis and response before work begins. Necessary translation or drawing work and any official fees are identified in the estimate so you can assess the overall cost.
Can you review drawings before filing?
Yes. We can review the proposed views and supporting information and identify additional materials that may be needed.
Can you advise on partial or related designs?
Yes. We can consider those options in light of the design, intended protection, and portfolio objectives.
Do you handle Hague matters involving Japan?
Yes. We assist with Japan-related Hague designations and subsequent JPO correspondence.
What if the design has already been disclosed?
Please provide the exact disclosure dates, circumstances, and supporting materials. We will review the facts and advise on the available filing options.
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Get in touch
Discuss Your Designs Matter in Japan
Send us a brief outline of your matter, the assistance required, and any relevant deadline.