Patent | 弁理士法人 R&C

Service Guide

01Patent

What is the patent system?

The patent system serves to protect "inventions" by granting exclusive rights (under Article 68 of the Patent Act) to inventions for which patent applications have been filed and which satisfy prescribed requirements (such as those under Article 29 of the Patent Act). Once an exclusive right has been granted, the applicant is permitted to use the invention exclusively for 20 years from the filing date.

Advantages of obtaining patents

For Defense

Exclusively use your products
Prevent other companies from filing an application for an imitation
Promote your products

For Offense

Prevent other companies from imitating your products
Demand an injunction (*1), damages (*2), and measures to restore credibility (*3) against infringement
Discourage other companies from entering your markets

*1: The right holder is entitled to demand discontinuation of sale or recall of the infringing article, and/or elimination of production equipment.
*2: The right holder is entitled to demand damages in compensation for infringement.
*3: The right holder is entitled to demand that the infringer should take such measures as advertising a public apology if the patentee's credibility has been damaged by infringement.

Others

Increase profits with license fees
Expand your business overseas

Service Guide

Please scroll horizontally to
view the entire table

	We help our clients in Japan take procedures with the Japan Patent Office.	We help our clients in Japan take procedures with patent offices in foreign countries.	We help our clients overseas take procedures with the Japan Patent Office.	We help our clients overseas take procedures with patent offices in foreign countries.
Filing an application	Discovering inventions Suggesting patent applications Preparing patent specifications and drawings Taking various procedures with the Office for obtaining a patent Taking a procedure for deposition of microorganisms Taking a procedure for registration of a plant variety under the Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act, etc.	Suggesting patent applications Helping select representatives in countries where applications are to be filed Preparing and translating patent specifications in conformity to practice in foreign countries Taking various procedures with patent offices for obtaining patents	Translating patent specifications in conformity to Japanese practice Taking various procedures with the Office for obtaining a patent Taking a procedure for deposition of microorganisms Taking a procedure for registration of a plant variety under the Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act, etc.	Suggesting patent applications Helping select representatives in countries where applications are to be filed Preparing and translating patent specifications in conformity to practice in foreign countries Taking various procedures with patent offices for obtaining patents
After obtaining a right	Filing for an invalidation trial Filing for an opposition Filing for a lawsuit against appeal/trial decision Filing for an infringement lawsuit Offering expert appraisals	Helping file for an invalidation trial and an infringement lawsuit in foreign countries and offering expert appraisals	Filing for an invalidation trial Filing for an opposition Filing for a lawsuit against appeal/trial decision Filing for an infringement lawsuit Offering expert appraisals	Helping file for an invalidation trial and an infringement lawsuit in foreign countries and offering expert appraisals

Achievements

Flow of Patent Acquisition

1	Consultation and interview about an inventionincluding invention discovery by a patent attorney in charge	including invention discovery by a patent attorney in charge
2	Preparation of a specificationquality assurance by the patent attorney in charge and use of a specification preparation assisting tool	quality assurance by the patent attorney in charge and use of a specification preparation assisting tool
3	Check of the specification by the client
4	Filing of a patent applicationformat checked by a patent attorney other than the patent attorney in charge	format checked by a patent attorney other than the patent attorney in charge
5	Publication of the application, and request for examination
6	Responding to an official communicationsuggestions offered for obtaining an effective right	suggestions offered for obtaining an effective right
7	Decision to grant a patent
8	Payment of a patent fee
9	Creation of a patent right
10	Support after obtaining the rightmanaging annuity payment, taking measures against an invalidation trial, etc.	managing annuity payment, taking measures against an invalidation trial, etc.

Service Guide

Patent

Features of our firm

R&C's patent attorneys will be with you right from the beginning - from the stage of an invention discovery meeting held at your company - to help plan a patent strategy. With such an invention discovered at the meeting, we help you take a series of procedures from filing a patent application up to obtaining a domestic patent right as well as obtaining patent rights in foreign countries as you intend. Each of your applications continues to be managed by the same staffer or group from the filing in Japan to obtaining patents in foreign countries basically under supervision of a single patent attorney in charge. This allows our staffers in charge to deeply understand your technology and your domestic and overseas intellectual property strategies and smoothly suggest suitable procedures. R&C can also help you stop the import of infringing articles at the water's edge (file a motion for injunction with the customs director).