MADRID PROTOCOL: Responding to the Notification of the Provisional Refusal in Japan

- Required Information

We will need a copy of the Notification of Provisional Refusal to begin the process for responding to the JPO. We will then draft a Power of Attorney for you to sign and send back to us. If requested, we will provide an analysis of the reason for refusal and provide comments on ways to overcome it. Once you approve the content, we will submit a response to the JPO.

- Fees

The cost for responding to a Notification of Provisional Refusal will vary depending upon the number of classifications for the goods and services and the reason for refusal. By far the most common reason for refusal is on the grounds that an application does not comply with Section 6-1 of the Japanese Trademark Law, complying with the requirement for an ‘unambiguous and clear description of goods or services.’ If the refusal is accompanied by an examiner’s suggestion, and we need only to file an amendment based on his or her suggestion, Keisen offers a competitive "basic fee" of US$400 for such a response, although the final cost will vary depending on the number of classes of goods/services.