5.6 International Registration of Trademarks
Section 5: Trademark & Design Protection Systems
This section touches on Japan's trademark and design protection systems, registration vehicles, periods of protection, and trademark and design registration procedures.
5.1 Legislation on Trademark and Design
5.2 Japan’s Trademark System
5.3 Validity and Term of Trademark Registration
5.4 Cancellation of Trademarks
5.5 The Registration Process
5.6 International Registration of Trademarks
5.7 Protection of Designs
5.8 The Registration Process
5.9 International Registration of Industrial Designs
In principle, to obtain trademark rights in Japan from within a foreign country, an application for registration must be filed with the Japan Patent Office. However, the following two schemes may be preferable alternatives.
5.6.1 Application Under the Paris Convention
If you intend to apply for registration of a trademark in Japan only, or in a small number of countries, it may be a good idea to file your application under the Paris Convention.
5.6.2 Application Under the Madrid Agreement
Japan is also a signatory to the Madrid agreement, so this is another alternative when making an international trademark application that includes Japan. Under this system, it is possible to file an international application and register trademarks in specified countries based on the application you initially filed in your own country. This is a particularly handy system for conglomerate companies with interests in many countries around the world.
