Ohara & Furukawa, Author at Ohara & Furukawa

January 17, 2018

Is it necessary to file a request for an examination in addition to a patent application in Japan?

In Japan, the a patent application merely starts the process of obtaining a patent and one of the most important steps following the application is filing a request for examination of the patent. The Japan Patent Office will not examine a patent without being requested to do so and if the applicant does not submit a request within 3 years of filing his or her application the application will be considered withdrawn and no patent will be granted.

January 12, 2018

Contract Termination and Bankruptcy in Japan

Contract termination and bankruptcy in Japan is a concern that many contracting parties face. A company contracted to perform an obligation for another company that enters bankruptcy usually has the option to unilaterally cancel the contract. Since the bankrupt company may not be able to pay the contracting company for the work it completes, it would be unfair to keep the contractor strictly bound to the terms of the agreement.

January 10, 2018

Calculating child support in Japan

Calculating child support in Japan is done by comparing the total income of each of the child’s parents. Therefore, how the total income of each parent is calculated is critical to determining how much child support will be paid. To set an easy to use standard for determining total income, the Japanese courts use parents’ tax returns to prove total income. For parents who are employed by a company, the “paid amount” as shown on the tax return will be used as the parent’s total income. For parents who are self-employed, the “taxable income” will be used as the total […]

January 8, 2018

Visa to Enter Japan

There are only four criteria for someone to be granted a visa to enter Japan. However, satisfying some requirements is easier than others. First, the applicant must have a valid passport. Second, the applicant must have accurately completed all necessary documents for the visa application. Third, the activities that the applicant plans to engage in while in Japan must be legitimate and meet the requirements of the visa. Finally, certain people defined in the Immigration Control Act (such as those with a dangerous infectious disease) can be denied a visa to enter Japan.