Welcome to Kéisén Associates

“Kéisén” means an “inexhaustible spring” in Japanese as we hope to become a wellspring of legal solutions for all matters relating to Japanese intellectual property law. Kéisén Associates, formerly Omori & Yaguchi, is a Tokyo-based Japanese intellectual property law firm with offices in Tokyo, New York  and Philadelphia, Pa. Our practice offers a broad range of Japanese and international legal support in patent, design, and trademark law. We offer prior art search, in-house technical translations, international licensing, as well as legal consultation for international business development and technology transfer support in Japan. Our highly skilled attorneys and patent agents are supported by a team of technical advisors, translators and administrative staff who are fluent in English. We can provide clients with a seamless, efficient, and cost effective service in all areas intellectual property protection in Japan.

Recent News & Press

Our Tokyo Office is Moving! (April 17, 2013)

As of April 22, you can find us at our new address: Waterras Annex Suite 1205 2-105 Kanda-Awajicho Chiyodaku, Tokyo 101-0063 JAPAN Phone: +81-3-5298-6552 FAX: +81-3-5294-3008 Please come visit us if you’re in the area! The nearest subway station is Ochanomizu off of either the Chūō or Sobu lines. Ochanomizu (御茶ノ水) is a neighborhood in [...]

Nintendo Granted a New Patent For Its New Panorama View Feature (December 31, 2012)

Nintendo was granted a patent by the US Patent Office on December 27, 2012, for its new Panorama View feature, which allows the player on Wii U to move the GamePad screen around to display a 360-degree view beyond what is displayed on the TV. This feature makes Nintendo’s dual-display gaming feature the most advanced [...]

New Year’s Greetings (December 31, 2012)

謹賀新年We would like to thank all of our friends and colleagues for supporting Keisen this past year. We wish everyone a Happy, Prosperous and Peaceful 2013! あけましておめでとうございます。 本年もどうぞ宜しくお願いいたします。 Click here to watch Japanese Robots doing a New Year’s dance.

Patent Infringement Litigator (December 26, 2012)

In Japan, all benrishi (patent attorneys) qualify to render prosecutorial, filing and expert opinion roles regarding IP matters. In terms of litigations, however, their adversarial role is limited to appeals against the Japan Patent Office’s decision. For the benrishi to represent clients in infringement trial proceedings, they must receive higher levels of training and pass [...]

The Results of the Japanese Patent Infringement Litigator Examination Show Low Passing Rate (December 26, 2012)

The results of the Japanese IP Infringement Litigator Examination was announced on December 18, 2012 and revealed that only 136 applicants passed the examination, down by approximately 25% from the previous year. Until the admissions process for future litigators becomes less regulated, it is important to keep in mind the two types of patent attorneys in existence in Japan and make an informed choice in finding representation that is right for you.

Holiday Office Closure Schedule (December 18, 2012)

The following are office closures for the Holidays:   Our Philadelphia and New York Offices are closed on Tuesday, December 25, 2012 and Tuesday, January 1, 2013 in observance of the Christmas and New Year’s Holidays. Our Tokyo Office and the Japan Patent Office are closed  on Saturday, December 28, 2012 to Thursday, January 3, [...]

WIPO Patent Report Shows Record Patent Filings for 2011 with China and Japan at the top of their Respective Categories (December 12, 2012)

The World Intellectual Property Organization released the data on global patent activities trends for 2011 and announced that, despite the “uncertainty and fragility” of the global economy, patent filings grew by close to 8% last year. The big announcement, however, was that the Chinese office has now overtaken the USPTO as the largest patent office [...]

“Buying Fakes Makes You Fake”-JPO and METI’s Anti-Counterfeiting Campaign (December 6, 2012)

The Japan Patent Office along with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) launched an anti-counterfeiting campaign on December 2, 2012, to educate consumers against the ills of this proliferating social phenomenon. In recent years, counterfeit and pirated products have become widespread using increasingly sophisticated tricks and Internet transactions leading to more serious damages [...]

Japanese Origami Artist Loses Copyright Battle With Japanese Television Station (November 21, 2012)

In an unusual copyright infringement case involving origami, a Japanese origami artist sued a Tokyo network television broadcaster for allegedly reproducing the folding instructions of his original origami top on the company’s web site. The artist claimed the network infringed the artists’ copyright, but is an origami diagram a copyrightable subject matter?

Huricane Sandy Update (November 7, 2012)

Our New York City Office continues to have no power due to last week’s storm and will remain closed until further notice. However, our Philadelphia and Tokyo offices are open. If you have an IP question, please contact us at: T.(215)701-6349 or email us at keisen_phl@keisenassociates.com. Many thanks.