FAQ Archives - Page 55 of 93 - Ohara & Furukawa

August 5, 2016

Is it legal to have employees pay a penalty when they quit without notice?

In order to ensure predictability in the management of their business and staff, many employers will draft employment contracts that specify that employees must give notice before quitting their job. Typically the required notice will be several weeks to several months. However, even if an employee fails to give notice, employers cannot force pre-determined penalties on employees who suddenly quit.

August 3, 2016

If an employee creates an invention, will the patent belong to the employee or the company?

Sometimes the right to patent an invention doesn’t rest directly with the inventor but rather with the company the inventor works for. Many companies, universities and research centers take measures to ensure that the institution, and not the inventor, owns all patents arising from an invention.

August 1, 2016

Can an order for compulsory execution be appealed?

Compulsory execution allows a court to exercise control over an individual’s assets and forcibly transfer them from one party to another, providing a powerful tool to force debtors to pay off an outstanding debt. However, in situations where it is used unjustly, it can cause great harm to innocent parties. Therefore, in order to prevent this from happening, compulsory execution orders may be appealed by the defending party.

July 29, 2016

Is there an inheritance tax in Japan?

Japan maintains an inheritance tax that applies to wills that are executed under Japanese law. The tax applies equally to assets owned by Japanese citizens inside Japan or outside Japan. However, for non-Japanese citizens, the tax only applies to assets within Japan.