1. The applicant’s full name, address and nationality.

2. Details of the mark. If the mark consists of only plain block letters in English or Japanese characters, drawings are not necessary. However, if the mark consists of a logo, stylized letters, design, 3-D or color(s), a clear drawing of the mark is necessary.

3. New types of trademarks became available for registration on April 1, 2015. A detailed explanation of such a non-traditional mark is required.

(i) A motion mark

(ii) A hologram mark

(iii) A color mark

(iv) A sound mark

(v) A position mark

4. Goods and/or services to be covered must be itemized, but there is no limitation on the number of goods or services to be designated in one class. An additional fee is required for each additional class in the same application (a multi-class application).

5. If Convention priority is claimed, the date, country and application number of the base application must be indicated in the application, and an original certified copy of the base application must be submitted within a three-month period from the filing date of the Japanese application.

6.Neither prior use nor any evidence of use is required. Any person who intends to use the mark may file an application.

7. No specimens showing actual use of the mark are required. Additionally, no Power of Attorney or any other formal documents from the applicant are in principle required. However, the Patent Office may request that the applicant file documents to confirm nationality, corporate entity, etc.

8. An online filing system (electronic trademark applications) is available.

In answer to these issues, Keisen’s predecessor, Omori & Yaguchi, founded Omori & Yaguchi U.S.A. in Philadelphia in 2000, achieving several strategic advantages. Our Philadelphia office houses registered Japanese patent attorneys, U.S. patent attorneys, and U.S. patent agents. Located in the Eastern U.S. and with many bilingual staff members, we are able to meet regularly with our clients, even in person, to discuss their inventions and IP strategies in English, which is crucial for creating high-quality documents for Japan. Our lawyers have intimate knowledge of the Japanese IP business and can assist personally with legal aspects of developing a market strategy for Japan, including licensing, franchising, and other matters related to intellectual property rights. The Tokyo and Philadelphia offices cooperate to serve our clients’ IP prosecution and litigation needs around the clock. In order to facilitate effective communication between our two offices, we conduct television conferences and even frequently fly staff between the offices.