We Are Dedicated to Serving SMEs
The renowned products of large companies often rely on parts made by SMEs. The global economy cannot exist without SMEs and their IP. The IP of SMEs must be protected to avoid unnecessary price competition and, worse, copying.
However, many SME executives are not fully aware of their IP’s value or the importance of protecting and managing it effectively. The challenges are multiplied for international companies seeking to do business in Japan. Thus, it is our mission to help them secure and defend their IP in Japan and beyond. Our ability to empathize with our clients is what makes us unique.
For almost twenty years, the team at Kimura & Partners has been dedicated to providing a one-stop solution for supporting and protecting its clients’ IP, especially SMEs.
We Know How To Help SMEs Succeed. That’s Kimura IP.
- The Kimura IP is our unique know-how on protecting client’s IP in Japan and globally.
- The Kimura IP is the culmination of many years of experience and success. We have a highly disciplined yet creative process that maximizes success in acquisition and infringement defense.
- Our clients know their technologies and their IP intimately – they created it. Our entire team understands and implements the Kimura IP. We explain it to every client and work with them to ensure success.
The assessment of a client’s IP and search of all existing related IP before filing applications in the Japan Patent Office (JPO) is vital for successfully obtaining IP rights. We have profound and specialized know-how about IP search in Japan. This allows us to obtain vital information during the search process. In turn, we can consider which scenarios to register such that future infringement is avoided or can be successfully attacked if there is a dispute or legal case.
In the JPO’s application examination phase, it is necessary to fight against the examiners based on a scenario much like a battle plan in war. We excel at turning difficult cases into rights for our clients. Our specialization is acquiring patent, design, and trademark rights when the applications were initially rejected. We thrive on the problematic cases that most firms avoid.
As a result, our patent and registration rates exceed 95%.
We Are IP Appeal & Dispute Resolution Experts
In Japan, large corporations typically prefer to avoid IP-related disputes, especially lawsuits. They aim for amicable solutions such as cross-licensing strategies instead of sending warning letters and filing lawsuits. Therefore, Japanese patent attorneys who deal mainly with large corporate clients tend to lack experience in disputes and prefer to avoid fighting for their clients’ rights. This does not serve clients, especially SMEs, well.
The purpose of filing applications is, of course, to obtain patents and design and trademark registrations. However, the final aim of acquiring patents and registrations is to effectively protect a company’s IP from infringement. Therefore, there is a very close relationship between IP acquisition and enforcement of rights.
To be truly useful, patent attorneys must anticipate how infringement may occur, and we must consider how to overcome it. We don’t wait until we face infringement. We do so right from the application and acquisition stage.
Furthermore, dispute cases require strong communication skills as situations can become heated. Most Japanese patent attorneys prefer to avoid disputes and refer them to an attorney-at-law. Kimura does not.
As you can see, experience with disputes, including lawsuits, is critical even at the examination stage of the JPO. Kimura has this experience.
We Are Dedicated To Our Clients’ Success
Most Japanese patent attorneys struggle to serve international clients. However, at Kimura & Partners, we welcome the opportunity. We are always ready to partner with you, take on the fight and do whatever it takes to get the job done. This attitude makes us sincere with our clients, the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the courts and all other parties involved in our cases.
We know from our many years of experience that difficult cases cannot be solved by just “doing our best.” Only giving the case everything we have, as if our lives depend on it, can change the course. Only the most sincere effort will lead to success. This attitude makes us sincere with our clients, the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the courts, and all other parties involved in our cases.
Timely and effective communication is the key to success when handling cross-border IP cases. Of course, we can hold meetings online via your preferred platform (Google Meet, Skype, Zoom, etc.) However, we are more than willing to visit your headquarters to meet and discuss issues in depth.
