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Japan is part of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). In order for a WIPO design to be enforced in Japan, the design must be granted by the WIPO. During the application process, renewal fees are not due. Once a design is granted, the renewal fee is paid to the WIPO. The lifespan that apply to a national Japanese design also apply to a WIPO design, which will be described in detail below.
Renewal fees in Japan must be paid by certain dates to either the WIPO or to the Japan Patent Office (JPO), depending on where the design was filed.
In this section you will find a description of how these renewal due dates are calculated, both the very first renewal due date and all subsequent renewal due dates.
If the design was filed at the WIPO, once granted, the first renewal is paid in the fifth year from the filing date, to the WIPO.
For example, if the grant date is 2022-01-20, and the filing date is 2020-03-01, the first renewal must be paid by 2025-03-01.
After the first renewal has been paid, all subsequent renewals must be paid every 5 years. The due date should be the month and date corresponding to the filing date.
For example, if the filing date was on November 9, then all subsequent annuities will be due on November 9 every five years.
If the design was filed at the Japan Patent Office (JPO), no annuities are due throughout the application process. The first renewal is paid 30 days after the grant date to the Japan Patent Office (JPO).
For example, if the grant date is 2022-01-20, then the first renewal must be paid by 2022-02-19.
After the first renewal has been paid, all subsequent annuities must be paid annually on the grant date. The due date should be the month and date corresponding to the grant date.
For example, if the grant date was on November 9, then all subsequent annuities will be due on November 9 each year.
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In Japan, designs are just one form of intellectual property. Other important IP rights include patents and trademarks. Explore our patent and trademark renewal pages for country-specific guidance and official fee information.
If you need any help renewing designs, patents or trademarks and are looking for a cost-efficient solution, get in touch with us.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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