There is possibility that a technical idea you thought, such as new product or new production method, is protected by a patent or utility model right. Further, design of a product will be protected by a design right, and a trade name of a product or service will be protected by a trademark right.

To obtain the patent, utility model, design or trademark right, you have to submit documents (application documents) to the Patent Office.

To obtain any right in foreign countries or regions, procedures based on international conventions or rules must be known.

We can support you to obtain a strong and wide scope right on the basis of intellectual property acts, regulations and past experiences. Firstly, please feel free to contact us.

In case that someone else has applied a similar application, there is a possibility that you cannot obtain the right. To prevent wasting time and application fee, you should search prior arts or applications before submitting the application documents.

By searching prior arts or applications, you can know how to write documents or how to name a product, so that you will easily obtain the right.

We can support you to reduce wasteful spending and submit most suitable application documents by searching prior arts or applications on the basis of professional searching means and specialized knowledge of technical fields and product classifications. Firstly, please feel free to contact us.

In case that your technology or product is infringed, if you have a patent, utility model, design or trademark right, there is a possibility that you can warn the infringer to stop the infringement or enforce the right to, for example, stop production, sale or import, or ask for compensation on the basis of the right. Even if you do not have any right, there is a possibility that you can take appropriate legal action on the basis of Unfair Competition Prevention Act or Copyright Act.

Note, it is very dangerous for you to take any legal actions without legal ground. You may get sued by the opponent. Firstly, please feel free to contact us.

If you receive a warning letter warning your infringement, you will get worried and tend to accept a claim of the right holder. However, even if you receive the warning letter, it is not always true that you infringe other’s right. It is necessary to search existence of other’s right and the scope of protection, and check if your product is included in the scope of protection or not. To properly judge if your product infringes other’s right or not, professional knowledge is required. Firstly, please feel free to contact us.

Question: I found a patent right or a trademark right relevant to my product before selling. Now it is too late to stop selling the product. What should I do?

Answer: Firstly, you have to check if your product really infringe the right or not on the basis of legal expertise. Even if your product infringes the right, you can sell your product by paying a proper royalty to the right holder, changing design or trade name to avoid the scope of the right, etc. There are various countermeasures, but suitable judgment based on professional knowledge is required. Please feel free to contact us.