Design renewal fees in Japan: costs, due dates and grace period
A registered design in Japan lasts up to 25 years from the filing date. The first-year fee is paid at registration; after that an annual fee falls due every year, counted from the registration date. Miss one and you have 6 months to put it right, at double the normal fee.
What are the design renewal due dates in Japan?
Japan protects a registered design for up to 25 years from the filing date. Renewal falls due every year, 24 times in all.
The first annual fee after registration falls due before the first anniversary of registration, payable to JPO. It keeps the design in force for its second year.
For example, if the design was registered on 2016-03-15, the next annual fee is due by 2017-03-15.
Each further renewal runs every year on the same basis, until the 25-year maximum is reached. There is no extension beyond it.
For example, protection can be kept alive until 2040-03-15, after which no further renewal is possible.
Japan is a member of the Hague System. A design registered nationally is renewed by paying JPO. Where protection instead comes from an international registration designating Japan, the renewal is paid directly to WIPO's International Bureau. WIPO registers designs and does not grant them, so JPO remains free to refuse protection under its own law.
A design registered here can be kept alive until 25 years after filing. Annual fees count from the registration date: the first is paid at registration, the next falls due on 15 Mar 2017, and one is due every year after that. Miss one and you have 6 months to put it right at double the fee, until 15 Sep 2017 in this example.
Official design renewal fees by year in Japan
Official fees payable to the JPO, in JPY, charged every year the design stays on the register, up to year 25.
| Year after registration | Official fee (JPY) | Cumulative (JPY) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 2 | 8,500 | 8,500 |
| Year 3 | 8,500 | 17,000 |
| Year 4 | 16,900 | 33,900 |
| Year 5 | 16,900 | 50,800 |
| Year 6 | 16,900 | 67,700 |
| Year 7 | 16,900 | 84,600 |
| Year 8 | 16,900 | 101,500 |
| Year 9 | 16,900 | 118,400 |
| Year 10 | 16,900 | 135,300 |
| Year 11 | 16,900 | 152,200 |
| Year 12 | 16,900 | 169,100 |
| Year 13 | 16,900 | 186,000 |
| Year 14 | 16,900 | 202,900 |
| Year 15 | 16,900 | 219,800 |
| Year 16 | 16,900 | 236,700 |
| Year 17 | 16,900 | 253,600 |
| Year 18 | 16,900 | 270,500 |
| Year 19 | 16,900 | 287,400 |
| Year 20 | 16,900 | 304,300 |
| Year 21 | 16,900 | 321,200 |
| Year 22 | 16,900 | 338,100 |
| Year 23 | 16,900 | 355,000 |
| Year 24 | 16,900 | 371,900 |
| Year 25 | 16,900 | 388,800 |
| Full term, years 2 to 25 | 388,800 | |
The year 1 fee (JPY 8,500) is paid at registration. Fee years count from the registration date; the right ends 25 years after filing.
The renewal fees for designs in Japan vary depending on whether the design is a national registration or an international registration through the WIPO. For international registrations, fees also depend on the number of designs in the application and whether it is a family registration.
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Missed a design renewal deadline in Japan?
A six-month grace period runs from the due date. You can still pay the annual fee inside it, with a surcharge equal to the fee itself, so a late payment costs double. Fee years count from the registration date. For applications filed on or after 1 April 2020 the term ends 25 years after filing; earlier designs keep the previous 20-year term from registration. Once the grace period closes, the design lapses.
If the annual fee due on 15 Mar 2017 is missed, the design stays recoverable for 6 months, until about 15 Sep 2017 in this example.
Design renewal fees in other jurisdictions
The same schedule, deadlines and grace rules, in the jurisdictions we are asked about most.
Looking for a different jurisdiction?
Design renewal fees and deadlines in every jurisdiction we cover.
Other IP renewals in Japan
Designs aren't the only rights that lapse without renewal. Japan also protects patents and trademarks. Each on its own schedule and fee scale.
Patents
Renewal deadlines, grace periods and official fees for patents in Japan.
Trademarks
Renewal terms and official fees for trademarks in Japan.
What happens to a Japanese design before it has been registered?
There are no annuities due in Japan before the patent is granted. Once the patent has been granted, annuities must be paid in accordance with the renewal interval described above under the section Due Dates.
When can I pay the renewal fee in Japan?
The renewal fee in Japan can be paid at any time before the renewal due date. Technically, all annuities can be paid at the same time, meaning that you will only have to pay one, large sum of renewal fee.
Can I renew a design after I miss a renewal due date?
Yes, it is possible to renew a Japanese design after its renewal due date. If you fail to pay the renewal fee before the due date, a grace period of 6 months is given wherein the renewal fees can still be settled. When entering the grace period you will incur a surcharge fee to be settled along with the renewal fee. If you wish to maintain the design, both the renewal fee and the surcharge fee will have to be settled. For example, if a design has a renewal due date of 2021-05-31 and the due date is missed, the design will enter the grace period from 2021-06-01. After this point both the renewal fee and the surcharge fee will need to be settled by 2021-11-30. Failure to pay these fees before the surcharge due date will result in the design lapsing.
How long do designs last in Japan?
A design will stay in force for 25 years in Japan from the filing date if successfully renewed. Failure to pay the renewal fees will result in the design lapsing.
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