The costs for trademark registration and how are they broken down in Japan

Trademark registration costs and their breakdown (and when they will arise)

I want to register a trademark, but how much will it cost? I need to estimate my budget.

The cost can be divided into two categories: the cost to be paid to the Patent Office (official fees), and the cost to be paid to the attorney (professional fees) . Let’s check how much each costs.

Total cost of trademark registration

The total cost of trademark registration is approximate as follows;

• The cost of appointing a Japanese patent firm(Japanese attorney) is only the cost of representation in Japan (not including the cost of translation or the cost of representation through a representative in your country of residence).
• “Classification” refers to the category of goods and services to be designated when registering a trademark, and there are 45 classes in total.

When expenses will be incurred

The costs (official fees and attorney fees) are incurred three times, at the time of trademark search, at the time of application and at the time of registration.

• Fee for “at the time of trademark search”⇒Fee to find out if the trademark can be registered before filing an application.
• Fee for “at the time of application” ⇒ Fee for filing application documents with the Patent Office and undergoing examination.
• Cost at the time of registration ⇒ 6 months to 1 year after the application is filed, the cost to maintain the registration of the right after receiving the result of examination that the right can be registered.

• Since the determination of registrability requires specialized knowledge, it is common to request an expert such as a patent attorney to conduct the search. In addition, there are no official fees for a trademark search, only an attorney fee. The cost of a trademark search may vary depending on whether the trademark is a word mark or a device mark. It is not required to conduct a trademark search prior to filing an application, and an application may be filed without a trademark search.
• The application fee will not be refunded even if the application is not approved or not registered.
• If the Patent Office examines your application and judges that it cannot be registered, you will be notified with a “Notification of reasons for refusal”. This notice provides an opportunity for response, and by amending the application or by arguing against the decision of the JPO, it is possible to reach registration.

If you need to communicate with the JPO during the registration process, there will be an additional fee (generally only attorney fees). If you are an overseas resident, please note that you will need to appoint a Japanese patent attorney.

The journal entries and accounts for expenses are explained in the following article.

Fees to the Patent Office (official fee)

The breakdown of fees to be paid to the Patent Office (at the time of application and registration) is as follows ;

The cost varies depending on the number of classifications.

• The registration(official fees) will be applied from April 1, 2022.
• The registration fee is calculated for 5 years.
• 　Besides the 5-year registration fee, you can also choose the 10-year registration fee, and the cost is less expensive.
• Before the term of your registered rights expires, you can make your rights last semi-permanently by paying a renewal fee.

Now that I have a general understanding of the costs, what do I need to pay attention to when going through the procedure?

Points to note when registering a trademark

There are steps 1) through 6) in the procedure.

1) Determination of trademarks (letters and marks)
2) Select Classification, Designated Goods/Services
3) Trademark searches to explore the possibility of registration before filing an application
4) Application Procedures
5) Procedures upon receipt of a Notice of Reason for Refusal
6) Registration and subsequent renewal procedures

2) In the selection of the classification and designated goods/services, you need to pay attention to whether or not you are making an appropriate choice.
For example, if you sell sandwiches to-go, you would need to specify “sandwiches” in Class 30, but if you provide sandwich service in a restaurant, you would need to specify “providing foods and beverages” in Class 43. If you want to do both, it can be best to designate two classes.

3) For trademark searches to explore the possibility of registration before filing an application, you can use the Japanese Platform for Patent Information (https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/), a free service for trademark searches, but if you operate or search in the wrong way, you may make a wrong decision.
If there is already a registered trademark that is identical or similar to yours, you will not be able to register the trademark, but may even have to discontinue selling it, so be careful when conducting your own search.

If the sale is discontinued, the cost of collecting the product will be a serious problem…
I understand that a trademark search before filing is an important step. It seems like it’s better to appoint a patent attorney instead of doing it myself.

Procedures 4) through 6) must be completed through a Japanese attorney. There are three ways to contact them.

• Contacting a Japanese patent attorney through an agent in your place of residence (please note that you will be charged for the representation in your place of residence).
• Contacting a Japanese patent attorney directly.
• Using an online service operated by a Japanese patent firm or Japanese patent attorney.

Differences between patent firms (patent attorneys) and online services

If you appoint a patent firm, the procedure may take a number of days due to the communication that occurs at each step. Meanwhile, in the “selection of designated products,” by informing the patent attorney of the details of your business and products/services, it is possible to obtain rights within an appropriate range.

In the case of online services, you can complete the procedures online at your convenience, which makes the process easier. In principle, you need to select the designated goods by yourself, but if necessary, you can contact a patent attorney via chat. Another attractive feature is that costs are kept low due to labor-saving and automation. In principle, patent firms and patent attorneys are also involved in online services.

Of course, the services and costs will vary depending on the patent firm and the online service you use.

Well, I get the feeling that the online service strikes a good balance between cost and support!

Summary: The cost of trademark registration varies greatly depending on who you appoint.

The cost of trademark registration differs depending on whether you choose to have a professional (patent firm or patent attorney) handle the process or use an online service.

• Costs for requesting a professional (patent firm or patent attorney) to handle the procedure ⇒ Approx. 260,000 yen or more
• Cost of using online services ⇒ Approx. 90,000 yen or more

We hope you now have an idea of the cost. Based on the content and circumstances of the trademark that you wish to get registered, please choose the appropriate method and register your trademark!

The important thing is that your business is protected by registering your trademark, creating an environment where you can focus on your business.

Reference/source information

• Japanese Patent Office Website: Schedule of fees

Use Amazing DX, a reliable, quality, and cost-effective online service to register your trademark!

Our service, Amazing DX, offers the following advantages.

• A simplified trademark search is available.
• We can prepare your application documents in a proper format.
• Our patent attorneys can individually respond to notices of reasons for the refusal (additional fee required).
• The necessary deadline information will be sent to your registered e-mail address.
• Our online service allows us to offer a speedy service at a reasonable price.

Let’s check out the fee calculator to see how much it’s going to cost!