Investing in Japan
How to Set Up Business in Japan
Laws & Regulations on Setting Up Business in Japan
Section 5. Trademark and Design Protection Systems
5.8 The registration process
5.8.1 Application and registration fees
Naturally, applying for and being granted registration of a design incurs fees. The fees for this process in Japan are as follows.
- Application fees
- 16,000 yen per design
- Note that the above amount is the official fee only, and does not include patent attorney's fees, fees for design drawings, etc.
- Registration fees
A registration fee is required when registering a design, however these fees differ from those of trademarks. The design registration fee for the first year is 8,500 yen and an annuity must be paid each year in order to maintain the validity of the design rights. The annuities are as follows.
Years 1 through 3: 8,500 yen per year Years 4 through 10: 16,900 yen per year Years 11 through 20: 33,800 yen per year
5.8.2 From application to registration
If the examination process goes smoothly, a design can be registered in as little as three months from the time of application. Generally, however, the examination takes approximately six months, and the registration takes another one or two months. Allow about eight months after application to complete the process.
- 5.7 Protection of designs
- 5.8 The registration process
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