Buying or Selling a Japanese Trademark: Assignment Procedure, Documents and Costs

"We want to buy a Japanese trademark registration from another company." "Our group is restructuring — how do we move our Japanese trademarks to the new entity?" "Is signing a contract enough?"

Japanese trademarks are bought and sold more often than many people think — for example, when an overseas brand owner finds that a Japanese company already holds the mark, or when a seller on Amazon Japan wants to acquire a registration to secure its brand. In this article, Japanese Patent Attorney Toru Kano of BrandAgent explains how a trademark assignment works in Japan, what documents are needed and what it costs.

*Official figures as of October 2026.

What is a trademark assignment?

A Japanese trademark right is property, and it can be sold, transferred or inherited. Japanese law distinguishes two kinds of transfer:

• Specific succession — a transfer by agreement, such as a sale or a gift between companies. This is the usual case.
• General succession — a transfer by inheritance or corporate merger, where the right passes together with the whole estate or business.

The transfer does not have to cover all designated goods/services: a registration can also be transferred for only part of its goods/services.

Why a contract alone is not enough

This is the most important point. In Japan, a transfer of a trademark right by agreement takes legal effect only when it is recorded in the JPO trademark register. Even if the purchase agreement is signed and the price is paid, the seller remains the legal owner until the transfer is recorded.

General succession (inheritance or merger) takes effect without recordal, but it should still be reported to the JPO promptly so that the register shows the correct owner.

The recordal procedure

• 1. Check the registration: owner name and address, registration number, designated goods/services and expiry date.
• 2. Prepare the documents: request for recordal of transfer, deed of assignment and Powers of Attorney.
• 3. Sign: the assignor signs the deed of assignment; each party signs a Power of Attorney.
• 4. File with the JPO: your Japanese patent attorney files the request and pays the registration tax.
• 5. Recordal: if there are no defects, the transfer is usually recorded about 15 business days after filing, and the J-PlatPat database is normally updated shortly after.

A party without an address or office in Japan must file through a representative in Japan. If the assignor and assignee are both overseas, a Japanese patent attorney can act for both.

Required documents

A company seal is no longer required; a signature by the company's representative is accepted. Please give us the names and addresses of both parties in the original language and in English, exactly as they appear on the register and in company records. If the assignor's name or address on the register is out of date, a change of name/address must be recorded first or at the same time.

Registration tax and payment

The registration tax is charged per registration, not per class. When several registrations move from the same assignor to the same assignee, they can be filed together, but the tax is still due for each one. Our attorney fee is quoted separately — please contact us for a quote. Payment to BrandAgent is accepted by PayPal (in JPY) or bank transfer.

If the JPO finds a defect

If the request is incomplete — for example, the names do not match the register or a signature is missing — the JPO issues an order to amend (or, for defects that cannot be fixed, a notice of reasons for dismissal) with a time limit. A proper amendment keeps the original filing date of the request. Name and address mismatches are the most common cause, which is why we check the register and the parties' details carefully before filing.

Transferring a pending application

A trademark application that has not yet been registered can also be transferred. In this case, a notification of change of applicant is filed instead of a recordal request, with an official fee of JPY 4,200. The transfer takes effect only when this notification is filed, so it should be done promptly — ideally before the registration fee is paid, so that the registration is issued in the buyer's name.

Madrid registrations designating Japan

If the Japanese right comes from an international registration under the Madrid System, the change of ownership is recorded through WIPO's International Register, not by a recordal request to the JPO. The new owner must also be eligible to hold an international registration. Tell us the international registration number and we will advise on the correct route.

Practical checks before you buy

• Is the right still in force? Check the expiry date and whether the next renewal (or 5-year installment) is due soon.
• Does it cover your goods? Confirm the designated goods/services match what you sell.
• Has it been used? A mark not used in Japan for 3+ consecutive years is open to a non-use cancellation trial. Ask the seller for evidence of use.
• Licenses and disputes: ask whether any licenses, oppositions, trials or lawsuits exist.
• Similar marks held by the seller: if the seller keeps a similar mark for similar goods, the brands may later conflict. Consider acquiring them together.
• Payment timing: for buyers, it is safer to link payment to signing of the recordal documents.

FAQ

• Q. Can a Japanese trademark be sold to an overseas company?
  A. Yes. Foreign companies and individuals can own Japanese trademarks. The recordal is filed through a Japanese patent attorney.
• Q. Is a signed purchase agreement enough?
  A. No. A transfer by agreement takes effect only when it is recorded at the JPO.
• Q. How long does it take?
  A. If there are no defects, the transfer is usually recorded about 15 business days after filing.
• Q. Can a pending application be transferred?
  A. Yes, by filing a notification of change of applicant (official fee JPY 4,200).
• Q. What is the registration tax?
  A. JPY 30,000 per registration for a transfer by agreement, and JPY 3,000 per registration for inheritance or merger.

Summary

Related articles

• Changing the Applicant of a Pending Japanese Trademark Application: Process and Documents
• Japanese Trademark Renewal: Deadlines, Official Fees and Procedure for Foreign Owners
• OEM Manufacturing and Japanese Trademarks: Who Should Own Your Brand in Japan?
• What Is a Trademark Right in Japan? When It Arises, Scope, Duration and Infringement