Philosophy

Handled by the same attorney throughout a patent's lifeOur policy is that a single person in charge handles a patent case from its filing to grant, and they will also handle all cases belonging to a single patent family including applications in Japan and corresponding international applications. A single invention is taken care of by a single person from its creation to registration for all patent family applications.

Drafting global specificationsWhen we prepare the first application of a patent in Japan, we draft a specification which satisfies not only Japanese standards, but the standards of variety of other countries as well. When we file applications in foreign countries claiming the priority of the Japanese application, the Japanese language specification is translated to the necessary foreign languages without any special modifications. This is possible because the Japanese language specification already meets the requirements of foreign countries' standards. Of course, we can take over an application from any stage, e.g., filing an application in a foreign country claiming a priority of a Japanese application that has been filed in Japan, filing an application in Japan claiming the priority of a foreign application or application which has been filed in a foreign country, or entering a national phase in Japan based on a PCT application which has been filed in Japan or elsewhere.

Variety of services - discovering inventions, invalidation trials, infringement lawsuitsIn accordance with our clients request that we do so, we actively participate in their IP activities, such as discovering inventions and interviewing inventors. We also have strengths in non-typical, special procedures. For example, we handle the largest number of applications for the extension of pharmaceutical patent terms in Japan. Our clients also entrust us with invalidation trials before the Japan Patent Office, administrative lawsuits, and infringement lawsuits in jurisdictions globally. We implement the lessons we learned during litigation back into our prosecution work.

Design strategy proposals to suit your businessWhen a design is created by its inventor, he or she may think that the design which they created is the only design that needs to be protected. From the viewpoint of providing broad and strong protection, our design-field specialist attorneys will give advice to the design inventor including various design strategies so as to cover variations of the created design.

Design applications throughout the worldYou need talent and much experience to file a good design application, because the resemblances and similarities in a design are determined by human taste, which varies depending on era and region. Our design attorneys have built up a wealth of experience through many design applications and we have filed a great number of design applications not only in Japan, but around the world as well. In particular, we handle many Japanese design applications for our international clients. Our design attorneys will provide you with advice from a variety of perspectives so that you may enjoy the very best protection for your designs throughout the world.

Approach from both patent and designProducts sometimes may not be patented because they do not have a sufficiently inventive step from a technological viewpoint. In certain other cases, products may be patented, but their claims may end up being unexpectedly narrow, because the cited prior art documents are relatively close to the invention. In these cases, it is worthwhile to consider filing an application for design. Furthermore, products may be protected from both technological and design viewpoints. Then it is necessary to have both good patents and good design registrations. Our attorneys who are specialized both in patent and design will provide our clients with up-to-date and effective advice.

Worldwide managementTrademark protection is vital anywhere your products may be distributed. That is why our trademark work can extend around the world. Our trademark team is highly experienced in trademark prosecution and maintenance all over the world, including in Japan, Europe, the United States, Asia, the Middle East, Russia, Latin America, Africa, and in the Caribbean. We can assist our clients with their trademark strategies and diligently address the variety of issues they face with a global perspective.

Long-term assistanceA trademark is a sustainable and prolonged property. The continuous use of a trademark increases its value. Trademark protection is not finished when a trademark registration is obtained; in fact, maintaining a trademark is very important as well. Each of our clients has one or more attorneys assigned to it as liaison to take care of that client's entire trademark portfolio regardless of case type or country. These liaison attorneys continuously assist our clients so as to meet their needs on a case-by-case basis.

Sharing the latest information across the entire teamThe trends in trademark-related examinations or decisions at the Japan Patent Office and the courts are always changing. We always need to seek up-to-date information so we can make analysis and assessments in an appropriate way. However, the amount of information that a single person or a small number of people can obtain is limited. Our trademark team shares the functional information and experience which were obtained by each team member, and regularly has study meetings. We at Aoyama always step up our efforts in cooperation with each other to provide our clients with superior services.