Consulting
This service involves assisting client companies in improving their business performance through planning and implementing technology and IP strategies that leverage their core technologies.
Our Areas of Expertise
- Extracting and visualizing core technologies
- Enhancing, developing, and supporting technology-based business strategies
- Planning and support for IP strategies
- R&D and IP matching
Extracting and visualizing core technologies
Core technologies are the mainstay of any manufacturing firm. However, if they are not properly protected as IP, competitors will enter the market, and you will quickly lose your competitive market edge.
By accurately understanding your company’s core technologies and visualizing them in writing, you can efficiently and effectively reflect your business strengths and properly protect them as IP. The outcome is enhanced company revenue.
We can help you extract the true core technologies from the various technologies being developed by your company and visualize them in writing.
Enhancing, developing, and supporting technology-based business strategies
To link your technology to the profitability of your business, it is essential to understand the characteristics of your technology, protect it as IP, and fully utilize it where you can secure a market advantage, i.e., to deploy winning methods in markets where you can win.
We analyze a company’s technology using various management strategy techniques. We propose strategies for strengthening existing businesses or entering appropriate markets based on the technology to be leveraged and help our clients improve their business performance by supporting the implementation of these strategies.
Planning and support for IP strategies
Appropriate protection and exploitation of IP is critical for companies, especially manufacturers. This is a key issue for market dominance, business continuity, and profitability. We can help you improve your business performance by developing an IP strategy that will give you an edge over your competitors. To this end, we can assist in the building and implementation of a patent portfolio.
R&D and IP matching
Through brainstorming sessions and interviews with the R&D and IP departments, we can propose business-oriented research projects and support the strategic protection of research findings as IP in a streamlined manner.
Seminars
A basic understanding of IP is essential to properly protect one’s IP. This knowledge should not be limited to the IP department staff but should be shared throughout the company, from sales and R&D personnel to management.
In addition to providing tailor-made training for companies, we conduct lectures at patent attorney associations, industry groups, universities, and other organizations.
Please feel free to contact us.
IP Training / Seminars
These are broadly divided into basic, beginner, applied, and business sessions.
The content ranges from basic legal knowledge to content for technicians and risk management. We can also provide customized training courses and seminars.
Hiraki Seminar
Once or twice a year, we hold an open seminar at our office.
Past Seminars and Lectures
- “Understanding the Significance and Use of Patents in Universities and Research Institutes” (National University Corporation Okayama University)
- “Useful Intellectual Property Rights for Business: Patents” (hosted by the Kanto Branch of the Japan Patent Attorneys Association)
- “Intellectual Property Rights: Introduction to Intellectual Property Rights” (hosted by the Faculty of Engineering, Yamagata University)
- “Practical IP Strategies in the Retail and Service Industries” (hosted by the National Federation of Small Business Associations)
- “The Basics of Pharmaceutical Patent Inventions”
Investigations
We provide services for all aspects of IP-related research and analysis.
Our Areas of Expertise
- Patent clearance (FTO) surveys
- Public literature review
- Technology-related analysis using patent maps
Patent clearance (FTO) surveys
When a company plans to freely implement a specific project, we conduct a preliminary investigation and appraisal of the risk of infringement of existing IP rights. If infringement is likely, we offer proposals to avoid such infringement in terms of design changes, cancellation of the business plan, or investigation of grounds for opposition or invalidation of the patent right. We also prepare expert opinions or statements of opinion regarding whether a particular enforcement action infringes on the IP rights of others.
Public literature review
Based on publicly available domestic and international IP-related literature, we conduct research into the novelty and other aspects of an invention before filing an application, as well as research on other companies’ related patent literature before implementing a project. The research findings can be used in patent applications and other applications, opposition cases, invalidation trial cases, etc.
For applications, we judge novelty in comparison with prior art and propose inventions, devices, designs, or trademarks that are likely to be approved.
For opposition cases and invalidation trial cases, we assist in gathering evidence to advance the case or trial.
We utilize our characteristics as a group of experts who understand technology and can discern the essence of inventions to provide high-quality research results.
Technology-related analysis using patent maps
We support technology development and technology strategy planning through patent portfolio analysis using analysis maps based on patent information that visualize trends in specific technology fields and in competitors’ technology trends. For example, we support technology strategies by analyzing the challenges and solutions that a particular technology presents.
