AKATSUKI UNION PATENT FIRM　FIRM PROFILE

AKATSUKI UNION PATENT FIRM is dedicated to provide the high quality intellectual property legal services to clients all over the world. Our intellectual property attorneys have legal expertise of intellectual property laws and the wide variety of technical backgrounds for providing high quality legal service. Our intellectual property attorneys are supported by our sophisticated management system with Focal Points and our uniquely developed infrastructure called Task Support System, for providing the high quality legal service through the practice.

Focal Points

We have Focal Points in our management system. Each Focal Point is engaged in the centralization and proliferation of legal information in each specific legal area. When one of our attorneys faces an unfamiliar legal issue in a specific legal area, the attorney must consult with the pre-assigned focal point for the legal area. For example, when an attorney faces an unfamiliar European legal issue, the attorney is supposed to consult with the European Focal point.

Each Focal point can collect the legal information in each specific legal area through the consultation and publish the information in the firm as necessary through our developed infrastructure. Currently we have Focal Points of U.S. Laws and European laws. Each Focal Point also supports the communication with the clients in each specific legal area.

Task Support System

Task Support System provides the common work area for the entire staff including attorneys, patent engineers, and paralegals via Intranet system. The common work area provides multiple status of area such as "In Operation", "Client Review", and "Filed". The Full-Text Search System is available in the "Filed" work area for the entire staff to utilize the filed jobs as the resources. The attorneys, patent engineers, and paralegals can view the status of every file being worked on, which enhances cooperation and an unified team.

Procedures for Obtaining a Patent Right and Available Services (Typical routine)



Application	Translation by In-house translators Reviewed by Patent attorney Proposal of Amendment by Patent attorney for tailoring the application to Japanese Patent Law

Publication of Unexamined Application	Sending a letter for notifying the Publication

Request for Examination	Reminder for the due date Confirming the decision by a client

Substantive Examination

Notification of Reasons for Refusal	Sending English translation of the Notification Sending comments

Argument and/or Amendment	Sending English/German translation of claims Sending English translation of arguments Obtaining the authorization by the client

Decision to Grant	Sending a letter for notifying the Grant

Registration	Paying Issue fee

Patent Gazette Publication

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