{"id":182,"date":"2026-11-01T15:24:57","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T06:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-trademark-applicant-change\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T16:33:24","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T07:33:24","slug":"japan-trademark-applicant-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-trademark-applicant-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Changing the Applicant of a Pending Japanese Trademark Application: Process and Documents"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">&#8220;We filed our Japanese trademark in the name of our Chinese parent company, but now the Japanese subsidiary should own it.&#8221;<br \/>\n&#8220;Our company merged with another group company while the application was still under examination. What do we need to do?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Group restructuring, setting up a Japanese subsidiary or selling a brand often means the applicant must change while a Japanese trademark application is still pending. This article, by Toru Kano, Japanese Patent Attorney at BrandAgent (Kyoto), explains how to do it.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"st-mybox  has-title st-mybox-class\" style=\"background:#f1f8e9;border-color:#a5d6a7;border-width:2px;border-radius:5px;margin: 25px 0 25px 0;\"><p class=\"st-mybox-title\" style=\"color:#4caf50;font-weight:bold;text-shadow: #fff 3px 0px 0px, #fff 2.83487px 0.981584px 0px, #fff 2.35766px 1.85511px 0px, #fff 1.62091px 2.52441px 0px, #fff 0.705713px 2.91581px 0px, #fff -0.287171px 2.98622px 0px, #fff -1.24844px 2.72789px 0px, #fff -2.07227px 2.16926px 0px, #fff -2.66798px 1.37182px 0px, #fff -2.96998px 0.42336px 0px, #fff -2.94502px -0.571704px 0px, #fff -2.59586px -1.50383px 0px, #fff -1.96093px -2.27041px 0px, #fff -1.11013px -2.78704px 0px, #fff -0.137119px -2.99686px 0px, #fff 0.850987px -2.87677px 0px, #fff 1.74541px -2.43999px 0px, #fff 2.44769px -1.73459px 0px, #fff 2.88051px -0.838246px 0px;\"><i class=\"fa fa-check-circle st-css-no\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>Key points<\/p><div class=\"st-in-mybox\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Before registration<\/strong>: file a &#8220;Notification of Change of Applicant&#8221; (shutsugan-nin meigi henko todoke) with the JPO.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>After registration<\/strong>: a different procedure \u2014 an application to register the transfer of the trademark right.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Assignment = &#8220;specific succession&#8221;; merger, company split or inheritance = &#8220;general succession&#8221;. The documents differ.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">An assignment only takes effect when the notification is filed with the JPO.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Before and after registration: which procedure?<\/span><\/h2>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\" border=\"1\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f5f5f5;\">\n<th style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Status of the mark<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Procedure<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Official fee<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Pending application<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Notification of change of applicant<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">JPY 4,200 per application<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Registered trademark<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Application for registration of transfer<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">JPY 30,000 per registration (assignment)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">If you already know the subsidiary will own the mark, changing the applicant before registration is cheaper than transferring the registered right later. It also avoids JPO notices going to the wrong company.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Assignment (specific succession)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Typical cases:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A Chinese parent company assigns the application to its Japanese subsidiary (or the other way round)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">An individual founder assigns the application to the company<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A brand is sold together with a business<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A co-applicant gives up its share<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Either the assignee or the assignor can file the notification. Through a Japanese patent attorney, this is normally done online.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Documents<\/span><\/h3>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\" border=\"1\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f5f5f5;\">\n<th style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Cause<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Proof required<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Assignment<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Deed of assignment (or a contract proving the assignment), signed by the assignor<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Waiver of a share<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Declaration of waiver<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Both cases<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Power of attorney for the Japanese patent attorney<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The deed of assignment must be submitted as an <strong>original<\/strong>; a simple copy is not accepted in principle. Japanese companies use a registered company seal, while foreign companies sign. Documents in Chinese or English need a Japanese translation. We will send you a ready-to-sign template so the names and application numbers match the JPO records exactly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Timing rules<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"st-mybox  has-title st-mybox-class\" style=\"background:#ffebee;border-color:#ef9a9a;border-width:2px;border-radius:5px;margin: 25px 0 25px 0;\"><p class=\"st-mybox-title\" style=\"color:#ef5350;font-weight:bold;text-shadow: #fff 3px 0px 0px, #fff 2.83487px 0.981584px 0px, #fff 2.35766px 1.85511px 0px, #fff 1.62091px 2.52441px 0px, #fff 0.705713px 2.91581px 0px, #fff -0.287171px 2.98622px 0px, #fff -1.24844px 2.72789px 0px, #fff -2.07227px 2.16926px 0px, #fff -2.66798px 1.37182px 0px, #fff -2.96998px 0.42336px 0px, #fff -2.94502px -0.571704px 0px, #fff -2.59586px -1.50383px 0px, #fff -1.96093px -2.27041px 0px, #fff -1.11013px -2.78704px 0px, #fff -0.137119px -2.99686px 0px, #fff 0.850987px -2.87677px 0px, #fff 1.74541px -2.43999px 0px, #fff 2.44769px -1.73459px 0px, #fff 2.88051px -0.838246px 0px;\"><i class=\"fa fa-check-circle st-css-no\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>Check the date of assignment<\/p><div class=\"st-in-mybox\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The assignment date cannot be earlier than the filing date of the application.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The assignment date cannot be later than the date the notification is filed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">If the deed has no assignment date, the date the deed was signed is treated as the assignment date.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The assignment takes effect when the notification is filed. Documents filed afterwards (e.g. a response to an Office Action) must name the new applicant.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Merger, company split or inheritance (general succession)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">When rights pass as a whole \u2014 through a merger, company split or inheritance \u2014 the change takes effect on the date of the merger or split itself, not on the date of the notification. The notification is still needed so the JPO records are correct.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\" border=\"1\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f5f5f5;\">\n<th style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Cause<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Typical proof<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Merger<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Official document showing the merger (for a foreign company, e.g. a certificate from the company registry), with Japanese translation<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Company split<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Document showing the split, plus a certificate that the trademark application was succeeded<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Inheritance<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Documents proving the heirs<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Practical points for foreign companies<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>One deed for several applications:<\/strong> if the assignor, assignee and terms are the same, one deed of assignment can cover several applications.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Use exactly the same names and addresses<\/strong> as in the application. If the applicant&#8217;s name or address has also changed, that must be recorded too.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Do it before registration if you can:<\/strong> it is cheaper than a transfer after registration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Check the deadlines:<\/strong> if an Office Action response is due, file the change first so the response is filed in the new applicant&#8217;s name.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">FAQ<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Who can file the notification?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. In an assignment, either the assignee or the assignor. A Japanese patent attorney normally files it with a power of attorney.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Does the deed of assignment need to be notarised?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. An original signed by the assignor is normally required. A notarised copy may be accepted in some cases. We will tell you exactly what to prepare.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. What does the deed need to state?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. The assignor, the assignee, the application number, the content of the assignment and the date. The date must fall between the filing date and the notification date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. What is the official fee?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. JPY 4,200 per application for a change of applicant. After registration, a transfer costs JPY 30,000 per registration.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"related-articles\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Related articles<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan_trademark_assignment\/\">Buying or Selling a Japanese Trademark: Assignment Procedure, Documents and Costs<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-company-name-trademark\/\">Should You Register Your Company Name as a Trademark in Japan? Guide for Foreign Companies<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan_trademark_examination\/\">Japanese Trademark Office Action (Notice of Reasons for Refusal): Common Grounds and How to Respond<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/how_to_register_a_trademark_in_japan\/\">How to Register a Trademark in Japan: Step-by-Step Guide for Foreign Applicants [2026]<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f0f7ff; border: 2px solid #0066cc; padding: 20px; margin: 24px 0; border-radius: 6px;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Planning to protect your brand in Japan?<\/strong><br \/>\nTell us your mark and your products \u2014 we will reply with the classes you need and a fixed quote, free of charge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">BrandAgent Patent Office (Kyoto, Japan)<br \/>\nToru Kano, Japanese Patent Attorney<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color: #0066cc; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en\/trademark_lp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Get a free quote for your Japanese trademark<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Japanese patent attorney explains how to change the applicant of a pending Japanese trademark application (assignment, merger, company split), the documents foreign companies need, the JPY 4,200 official fee and key timing rules.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trademark"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=182"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":224,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182\/revisions\/224"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}