Commercial Dispute
Commercial Dispute Advisory
A written position assessment for companies in disagreement with a supplier, customer or partner — covering strengths, weaknesses and the cost of each route available.
From ¥39,000
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Intellectual Property Protection
Understand what protection you have before you need it.
Trade marks, designs and copyright operate differently from one another. A search report and registration strategy gives you a clear view of what is protected, what is not, and what steps are available when something is used without permission.
What this service delivers
A clear account of what you own, what you can register, and what you can do if someone copies you.
Intellectual property protection works best when it is thought through before a problem arises. A search before adopting a name or mark tells you whether something similar already exists. A registration strategy tells you what is worth filing and where. Advice on licensing sets the terms under which others can use your work.
When infringement is observed, we advise on the steps available and what each one involves in time and cost — the same approach as in our commercial dispute advisory, applied to an IP context.
Search report before any application
We search existing registrations before filing anything, so you know what the landscape looks like and whether your chosen name or mark is likely to face opposition.
Plain account of what registration does and does not prevent
Registration creates rights, but they are not unlimited. We explain what is covered, what falls outside the registration, and what you would need to show in order to act on an infringement.
Renewal calendar for registered rights
Registrations lapse if they are not renewed on time. We provide a calendar covering all registered rights so that renewal deadlines are visible well in advance.
Licensing terms, set out clearly
If others will use your mark, design or content under licence, we advise on the terms that govern that use and what happens if those terms are not followed.
The difficulty
Most IP problems are easier to prevent than to address after the fact.
Adoption before search
Many businesses invest in a name, logo or product design before checking whether something similar is already registered. Discovering the conflict later — after packaging, signage and marketing are in place — creates a far more difficult situation than a search would have.
Assuming copyright is enough
Copyright arises automatically in original works but does not cover names, marks or functional designs in the same way registration does. The two forms of protection work differently, and understanding which applies to what you have made affects what you can do if something goes wrong.
Lapsed registrations
Trade mark registrations need to be renewed periodically. A registration that lapses because a renewal date was missed leaves the name or mark open to third-party applications. This is a straightforward administrative matter until it is missed.
Our approach
We work from what exists before advising on what to file.
Before recommending a registration strategy, we search what is already on the register. This tells us whether your intended name or mark is available, whether something similar might be argued to conflict, and how crowded the relevant category is.
The registration strategy we then produce takes the search results into account. It sets out what is worth filing, which classes of goods or services the filing should cover, and what the likely timeline and cost of registration looks like.
Where infringement is already occurring, we assess what the registration or other right actually covers and what steps are available — before advising on how to respond.
Position statement
Who decides what, in this service
You decide
Which names, marks or designs to protect. Whether to proceed with registration after receiving the search report. How to respond to an infringement, once the options are set out. Which licence terms to accept or offer.
We determine
What the register shows and whether conflicts exist. What registration covers and what falls outside it. What steps are available in response to infringement and what each involves. What a licence should address to be enforceable.
What working together looks like
A process shaped by what your situation requires.
01
Initial description
You describe what you have — a name, mark, product design, body of work — and what you want to do with it. We confirm which aspects of IP advisory apply and what we will need from you to proceed.
02
Search and review
We search relevant registers and review the materials you have provided. Where infringement is already at issue, we review the evidence of use and the scope of the right claimed.
03
Written report
You receive a written report covering the search findings, what registration would and would not cover, the recommended strategy, and — where relevant — the options in response to infringement with costs attached.
04
Your decision
You decide what to file and when. If you want to continue to registration, licence drafting or infringement response, we discuss that stage separately at this point.
Working languages
Documents
English · Japanese
Meetings
English · Japanese
Correspondence
English · Japanese
Fee
¥35,000 for the initial advisory.
This fee covers the search, the written report and the initial strategy. It does not cover filing fees, which are set by the relevant registry and vary by jurisdiction and number of classes, or further work such as licence drafting or infringement correspondence, which are quoted separately.
The timeline depends on the registration route and jurisdiction involved. We set out what to expect when we confirm scope at the outset.
What is included
Search of existing registrations before any application is filed
Written search report with findings and analysis of conflict risk
Plain explanation of what registration does and does not prevent
Registration strategy covering classes, jurisdiction and recommended timeline
Renewal calendar covering all registered rights identified during the advisory
How the assessment works
Different rights, different registers, the same structured approach.
Trade marks, registered designs, unregistered design right, copyright and trade secrets each arise differently and are enforced through different routes. The advisory covers whichever of these is relevant to your situation, and explains how they interact where more than one applies.
The search report is specific to the name, mark or design you are considering. We do not provide a general overview of IP law. We look at what exists on the register that might conflict with what you want to use, and explain what that means practically.
Timeline depends on the registration route and the jurisdictions involved. Domestic trade mark registration in Japan follows a set process with a known duration. International registrations and design filings have their own timelines, which we set out in the report.
Suited to
Product companies and manufacturers considering trade mark or design registration. Studios and creative businesses with copyright in commercial materials. Consumer brands expanding into new markets or adopting new names. Any business that has observed what it believes may be infringement and wants to understand its options.
What affects the timeline
The search and written report are generally delivered within two to three weeks. The registration process itself follows the relevant registry's timeline, which varies by jurisdiction and route. We set this out clearly in the initial report.
Our commitment
A search report that shows what the register actually contains, not what you hoped it would.
If the search returns a conflict, the report will say so clearly. We will not minimise a potential problem to make the filing seem more straightforward. The value of the search is precisely that it surfaces these issues before money and time are spent on a registration that faces opposition.
If you find that the report does not address the specific name, mark or design you submitted for search — that it has drifted into a general discussion rather than your specific situation — please contact us and we will review the work.
What you can expect
A search conducted before any advice on filing, not after
Conflicts identified and explained — including where the risk is low versus where it is material
Registration strategy specific to your situation, not a generic filing checklist
A renewal calendar so no registered right lapses without notice
No obligation to file or proceed further after receiving the report
Getting started
What happens when you reach out.
01
Contact us
Use the contact form on the main page or email info@domain.com. Describe what you are looking to protect — a name, mark, design, body of creative work — and whether there is a specific concern already in view.
02
We confirm scope
Within two working days we confirm which aspects of IP advisory apply, what materials or information we will need, and the timeline for the search report from that point.
03
Report delivered
You receive the written report with search findings, strategy and renewal calendar. From there, you decide what to file and whether to continue with us to the registration or drafting stage.
Other services
Further areas where we advise.
Each service begins from the documents and produces a written assessment. If your matter involves more than one area, let us know when you get in touch.
Lease & Tenancy
Lease and Tenancy Advice
Advice for landlords and tenants on lease terms, renewal, rent revision, restoration obligations and notice requirements — commercial and residential.
From ¥27,000
View serviceIntellectual Property Protection
Describe what you are looking to protect.
We will confirm whether it falls within scope and explain what the next step looks like. There is no commitment involved in reaching out.
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