1. Information We Collect

When you contact us, we receive the information you provide, which may include:

• Your name, firm or company, country or region, and email address;
• Your telephone number or other contact details, if provided;
• The type of IP matter, subject, relevant deadline, and message;
• Application or registration numbers, reference numbers, and information about the requested work; and
• Documents or other files you choose to attach.

Information marked as required on the contact form is needed to submit an inquiry through that form. Please provide only information relevant to your inquiry. If you provide personal information about another person, please ensure that you are authorized to do so.

Website hosting and security services may also record technical information, such as IP addresses, access times, requested pages, browser or device information, and security-related events.

2. How We Use Information

We use personal information for the following purposes:

• Responding to inquiries and communicating about requested assistance;
• Reviewing whether we can accept a matter, including relevant conflict checks;
• Confirming scope, documents, deadlines, eligibility for procedures, and estimated fees;
• Providing instructed IP services and related reporting, billing, and administration if a matter is accepted;
• Operating and protecting the website, preventing spam and abuse, and investigating technical problems; and
• Meeting legal and professional obligations and handling related requests or disputes.

3. Confidential Information and Engagement

For an initial inquiry, please send a non-confidential outline. Please do not submit unpublished inventions, trade secrets, or other confidential or time-sensitive materials until we have confirmed that we can accept the matter and agreed on how the materials should be supplied.

Submitting a form or sending an email does not by itself establish a professional engagement or transfer responsibility for a deadline. Please wait for our written confirmation of acceptance.

Personal information and confidential matter information are also handled subject to applicable professional duties and any engagement terms agreed with you.

4. Service Providers and Other Disclosures

We may entrust necessary processing to service providers supporting website hosting, email, IT administration, document handling, and security. When doing so, we take appropriate steps to oversee their handling of personal information.

For an accepted matter, information may be provided to patent offices, instructed overseas counsel, translators, or other persons where necessary and authorized for the agreed work. Information included in IP applications or official proceedings may become public under the rules governing those proceedings.

We do not otherwise provide personal data to third parties without consent, except where permitted or required by applicable law. We do not sell personal information.

5. Cookies and Google reCAPTCHA

This website uses Google reCAPTCHA to help protect the contact form against spam, automated submissions, and abuse. The service processes technical signals relating to your browser, device, and interaction with the website for security and risk analysis. It may use a security cookie for this purpose.

We use this processing for website protection. Google provides the service under its applicable service and data-processing terms. Details are available in Google’s reCAPTCHA documentation and Google’s Cloud Data Processing Addendum.

You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Blocking cookies or security-related scripts may affect the contact form or other website functions. You may contact us by email if you cannot use the form.

6. International Processing

We are based in Japan. Information you send from another country is received and handled in connection with our Japanese practice. Depending on the service provider or instructed work, information may also be processed outside Japan.

Where an overseas transfer is subject to applicable personal-data protection requirements, we take the required steps, including providing relevant information and obtaining consent or using another permitted basis where appropriate. Sending an inquiry is not treated as blanket consent to unrelated overseas disclosures.

7. Retention

We retain personal information for the period reasonably necessary for the purposes described above, taking account of the status of the inquiry or matter, applicable recordkeeping requirements, and legal and professional obligations. Information that is no longer needed is deleted or disposed of appropriately.

8. Safeguards

We take appropriate organizational, personnel, physical, and technical measures to protect personal data against unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures include controlling access according to work responsibilities, handling records appropriately, and overseeing entrusted processing.

For further information about our safeguards, please contact the privacy inquiry contact below. We provide information to the extent required by applicable law, while avoiding disclosure that could compromise security.

9. Requests Regarding Your Information

Subject to applicable law, you may request notification of the purposes of use, access to retained personal data or relevant third-party provision records, correction, addition or deletion of inaccurate information, or cessation of use or third-party provision.

Please contact us with sufficient information to identify the relevant records and explain your request. We may verify your identity or authority before responding. We will handle the request in accordance with applicable law and explain any lawful reason why a request cannot be fulfilled in whole or in part. Legal or professional retention duties may limit deletion.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in our practices, website services, or applicable requirements. The current version will be posted on this page with its last-updated date. We will provide additional notice or obtain consent where required.

11. Privacy Inquiries

For privacy questions, requests, or complaints, please contact: