Characteristics by legal fields/technical fields
Aoyama & Partners is one of Japan’s leading patent firms, with a
total of approximately 300 staff, including approximately100 patent
attorneys.
We cover all fields from life sciences, chemistry/materials science,
Electricity, electronics, IT, mechanical engineering to designs, trademarks and
legal affairs,
and handle applications, trials, litigation and all other IP-related
matters, both inside and outside Japan.
Life Science
know-how based on years of experience and trust.
in the field
Aoyama & Partners started out in the field of pharmaceuticals
when it was founded, and has specialized divisions for the
pharmaceutical, agrochemical, biotechnology and food fields.
We have more than 20 patent attorneys in charge, and we are
proud to say that our achievements, whether domestic or
foreign, are outstanding among patent firms in Japan. We have
extensive experience in the pharmaceutical field, staying
up-to-date with the advancement of technologies and new
modalities, and continue to accumulate know-how for acquiring
rights.
Given the huge value of a single pharmaceutical patent,
efficiently and strategically obtaining patents related to
pharmaceuticals (including substance, manufacturing,
formulation, and use patents) is an efficient way for
protecting our clients’ businesses. Aoyama & Partners not only
supports its clients through its expertise in technology, but
is deeply involved with its clients from the point of
proposing patent strategies.
In addition, registration of a patent term extension, which
compensates for the period during which the patent right could
not be implemented until approval by the Ministry of Health,
Labour and Welfare, extends the period of patent exclusivity
for drugs that have been placed on the market, and thus
greatly advances our clients’ business performance. We have a
wealth of experience in registration of patent term
extensions, particularly in cases involving foreign
pharmaceutical manufacturers.
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Chemistry and Materials Science
for each material and each client
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A major characteristic of the chemistry and materials science
field is the extremely broad range of inventions. We handle a
wide variety of inventions in both inorganic and organic
fields, including metals, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers
and small molecules. When we look at the properties of
materials, the range of technologies to handle materials with
added chemical and physical properties (electrical, optical,
mechanical, etc.), such as resin (polymer) materials as
functional or structural materials, fibers, environmental and
energy-related materials, metallic materials, semiconductor
materials, electronic materials and construction materials is
further expanded.
Aoyama & Partners also has more than 20 patent
attorneys in charge of this field. We provide more specialized
and higher quality services by subdividing a wide range of
fields and assigning a person in charge of each, and then
establishing a meticulous system dedicated to each client. Our
client base ranges from large corporations to small and
medium-sized enterprises, and recently we have been receiving
an increasing number of consultations from universities and
venture companies.
in the field
Electricity, electronics, IT, mechanical engineering
working closely with businesses
to create valuable patents
in the field
Technical fields such as electricity, electronics, IT, and mechanical engineering
are often at the core of products and
services and are therefore vital to businesses. Having the
right patent strategy can greatly enhance business
development. For example, patents and applications can be used
to prevent newcomers from entering into a specific market or
to exploit gaps between existing patents to establish a
foothold in the IP landscape.
At Aoyama & Partners, we carry out careful consideration of
both our clients' technical features and their business aims,
so that we can propose an application strategy that is
consistent with the client's development. All of our staff
members are well versed in both technology and business and
can provide assistance not only in obtaining patents, but also
in utilizing patents beyond the grant.
In these fields, it is also common for family applications to
be filed in multiple countries and regions. At Aoyama &
Partners, we have a system in place whereby these family
applications are handled consistently by the same person,
allowing us to proceed with interrelated procedures in a
unified and strategic manner. The technical information and
business background obtained in the initial meetings are used
to ensure consistency across the entire portfolio.
With our expertise in patent law as well as our business sense
and developer's perspective, we can provide our clients in the
electronics, IT, information and mechanical engineering fields
with strong support.
in the field
Design
with patents and designs
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Since designs are concerned with the shape and form of an
article, they are generally handled by trademark attorneys. At
Aoyama & Partners, however, the design team is part of the
patent division and works closely with patent attorneys who
have a background in technology. We strategically use designs
in combination with patents to protect a product from
different aspects.
For example, a replacement part must have a certain shape in
order to be incorporated into the main body of the product,
but if it is difficult to obtain a patent, there are ways to
prevent infringement by using a design to protect the shape of
the part. Aoyama & Partners handles patents and designs in
this integrated manner to meet the needs of its clients.
Another major advantage is that we have four patent attorneys
specializing in designs. Laws concerning designs vary
considerably from country to country, but we have a large
group guided by our four specialized attorneys, which enables
us to handle designs in a wide range of countries.
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Trademark
global experience and know-how
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At Aoyama & Partners, we go beyond mere trademark acquisition
to provide strategic consultative support with an eye to the
future, based on a thorough understanding of the client's
business development and brand strategy. In addition, with
more than 10 patent attorneys in charge of trademarks, we are
one of the largest firms in Japan. This is where Aoyama &
Partners' advantage lies, as we are able to meet the diverse
needs of our clients through advice backed by our extensive
track record and experience.
Another important advantage is the global scope of countries
where applications are filed. We have experience in nearly 200
countries worldwide, from international application by
Japanese companies to application in Japanese by foreign
companies. Aoyama & Partners is well versed in the unique laws
and business customs of each country, and the experience and
know-how we have cultivated in obtaining rights in Japan and
abroad, as well as our strong network with agents in each
country, are also our strengths.
These strengths make Aoyama & Partners a reliable partner for
our clients in the protection of domestic and international
trademarks.
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Legal Affairs
over the past 10 years
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Aoyama & Partners launched the legal department in 2017 based
on its experience, including its involvement in several
important judicial decisions in the history of patent law. We
currently have four patent attorneys and two legal counsel in
the legal department.
Legal matters include infringement warnings,
infringement lawsuits, various types of contracts,
consultations on employee inventions and copyrights, and
revocation actions against trial decisions. In recent years,
in addition to domestic diputes, the number of international
disputes has been increasing, and our involvement in about 60
international litigation cases over the past 10 years is a
significant advantage over other patent firms.
When facing infringement lawsuits, the patent
attorneys in the legal department and the patent attorneys in
charge of the case work together, and depending on the case,
form a team with our legal counsel or outside attorneys to be
deeply involved in the planning of trial strategies from
technical and legal perspectives. For international cases, we
also team up with local attorneys in Germany, the U.S., China,
and other countries for trials.
The experience
gained in these legal matters is also fed back into our
application work and is useful for the rights acquisition in
the future.
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