Differences of Design Prosecution in Japan
Six drawing requirements
The application must accompany six drawings of front, rear, right, left, top and bottom sides.
They must be in the same scale and consistent with each other.
Single Design per Application
Each application may include only a single design of single shape.
If the application includes multiple designs, it is considered to multiple applications can be filed.
Special design
Associated Designs
Plural varieties of designs created under one design concept can be registered as "associated designs".
One of the designs must be specified as the principal design, while the others become the associated designs.
If associated designs are dissimilar to each other, they must be similar to the principal design.
Registered associated designs have their own scope of protection, in the same way as a regular design, and have a right independent of the principal design, while the associated design rights expire together with the principal design right, and transfer of the associated design rights, pledge, and exclusive licenses should be handled with the principal design right, not be handled separately.
Partial Designs
If a product has characteristic portion, that can be filed as the partial design, even when the portion is not detachable.
To file a portion design application, the new portion is depicted using solid lines, boundaries of the portion are drawn by lines having a dot or short line alternately, and the other portions are drawn by broken lines.
flow and fee
