Support for SMEs and Ventures
If any of these three criteria apply to your company, you are eligible for our support services aimed at SMEs and ventures. Contact us for more details.
Minato Mirai Patent Firm receives many requests from SMEs and ventures.
We offer the following services for companies that seek to gain rights swiftly or to reduce the costs involved in acquiring patents:■Contents (Click a link to jump to the relevant section)
Accelerated Examination System
This system lets you get a patent quicker by applying for an accelerated examination any time in the three years after filing.
By applying for an accelerated examination when the Japan Patent Office examines your filed patent, you can cut the examination time from about one year to about two months.
This system is only available for SMEs* and sole proprietors.
*SMEs Manufacturing and other industries 300 employees or less, and JPY 300 million or less in capital Wholesale 100 employees or less, and JPY 100 million or less in capital Retail 50 employees or less, and JPY 50 million or less in capital Service 100 employees or less, and JPY 50 million or less in capital We also offer services for early trademark registration, where you can apply for an accelerated examination when you file a trademark that you are already using.
Please feel free to contact us for more details.
Reduced Fees for Examinations and Annuities
SMEs (and sole proprietors) are eligible for reduced fees for patent examinations as well as for annuities, as long as they meet specific criteria defined by the Japan Patent Office.
Example: Examination fee (with 7 claims)
Example: Annuities (for the first 10 years, with 7 claims)
You may be eligible for reductions if you meet the criteria below. Please feel free to contact us for more details.
SMEs eligible for reductions a. Corporations with JPY 300 million or less in capital and that have been established for under 10 years b. Small-scale companies (corporations) with 20 employees or less (5 employees or less at commercial or service companies) * In addition to meeting either of the criteria above, your company must not be under the control of another corporation. (i.e., no individual corporation may hold 50% or more of your company’s shares in terms of total stock number or value, or contribute 50% or more toward your capital; and multiple corporations may not hold 66% or more of your shares or contribute 66% or more toward your capital.)
