Developing a brand that stands out from the crowd is a critical part of corporate practice, which requires strong trademark protection. Our team has extensive experience registering the trademarks of international clients and defending them by opposing and canceling conflicting trademarks, negotiating with others, and conducting customs surveillance.
1. Information We Need for Filing a Trademark Application
Please send us the following information via “CONTACT US“.
– Goods and services for which the trademark will be used
– The official full name and address of the applicant
– Website address of the product or applicant if any
– If the same trademark has been filed abroad:
- MS Word of the application and its application number, and
- color PDF of a certified copy of the application, for claiming the priority
– Any concern or desire you may have
– Your contact information
2. Fees (JPY)
| Number of Classes | Filing Application | Paying Registration Fee | Total | ||
| Service Fees | Office Fees | Service Fees | Office Fees | ||
| 1 | 70,000 | 12,000 | 23,000 | 32,900 | 137,900 |
| 2 | 105,000 | 20,600 | 23,000 | 65,800 | 214,400 |
| 3 | 140,000 | 29,200 | 23,000 | 98,700 | 290,900 |
| 4 | 175,000 | 37,800 | 23,000 | 131,600 | 367,400 |
| 5 | 210,000 | 46,400 | 23,000 | 164,500 | 443,900 |
Response to a provisional refusal
20,000 + 30,000 x hours (typically, 30,000 to 90,000)
*Service Fees are all inclusive and valid through 2025 and 2026.
*Office Fees are irrelevant of the number of goods or services (as of August 1, 2025).
3. Registerable Trademarks
Colors without shape or color combinations, animated (moving) marks, holographs, three-dimensional marks, and sounds are protectable, but smells are not. We will advise on the trademark form, such as the color or black-and-white, font, and the inclusion of text and logo. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
4. Goods and Services
We will propose descriptions of the following goods and services based on the given information.
1. Goods/services planned for use
2. Typical goods/services for which the trademark may be used as the business expands
3. Other goods/services where preventing third-party use can be beneficial
The Japan Patent Office (JPO) publishes a list of “Acceptable Descriptions of Goods and Services,” Even the international standard descriptions per the Nice Classification (NCL) are often objected to in Japan. Therefore, the Acceptable Descriptions should be used where possible.
If the actual goods or services do not correspond to any Acceptable Descriptions, we will search and suggest closer descriptions that the JPO has ever accepted. If similar descriptions have not been accepted, we suggest specifically describing the goods or services to help the examiner understand them.
During prosecution, the applicant can limit but cannot broaden or shift the descriptions. We will also suggest adding broader Acceptable Descriptions to support future limitations, as necessary.
5. Intent to Use the Trademark
In Japan, each class is divided into subclasses. If goods or services are selected from more than seven subclasses within a single Class, the JPO requires proof of the applicant’s intent to use the trademark. We will let you know in advance if this will be the case.
6. Time and Fee Schedules
We file trademark applications within a few days of receiving all information.
See also Differences of Trademark Practices in Japan.
If you have any concerns or goals, please feel free to contact us.
7. Filing Trademark Applications with Future Worldwide Expansion in Mind
If a trademark is intended to be used globally, it is important to consider the relevant issues in each country. First, the trademark should not create a negative impression in any country where the goods will be sold. It is also necessary to check for similar trademarks in the target countries. In addition, when filing an international application under the Madrid Protocol, the descriptions of goods or services must be determined considering the trademark classification systems of the designated countries
Example:
A trademark registered in Japan for Class 25: Clothing covers “hats.” However, in China, “hats” are not included in the subclass for “clothing.” An international application under the Madrid Protocol can only designate goods or services that are the same as or narrower than those in the basic application. Therefore, if only “clothing” is designated in Japan and an international Madrid Protocol application is filed based on it, the resulting application will not protect “hats” in China. However, each country independently determines whether the designated goods or services fall within a narrower scope. As a result, it is often difficult to add new goods later, even if those goods were covered by the basic registration. Accordingly, if an applicant plans to sell hats in China, “hats” should be included in the list of designated goods in the basic Japanese trademark application. At RYUKA & PARTNERS, when consulted regarding trademarks expected to be used worldwide, we provide tailored advice to ensure appropriate protection across relevant jurisdictions.
