1. General Policy
ORIBE GROUP — comprising ORIBE Patent Law Firm (弁理士法人オリベ特許事務所), ORIBE Judicial Scrivener Office (オリベ司法書士事務所), and ORIBE Administrative Scrivener Office (オリベ行政書士事務所), collectively referred to as “we” or “our offices” — recognises the importance of personal information handled in the course of our professional activities, and is committed to handling personal information appropriately in compliance with Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information (個人情報保護法) and other applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines.
2. Definition of Personal Information
For the purposes of this policy, “personal information” refers to information relating to a living individual that can be used to identify a specific individual, such as name, date of birth, address, telephone number, and other descriptions, or that includes an individual identification code, as defined under Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information.
3. Collection of Personal Information
We collect personal information by lawful and appropriate means, and only to the extent necessary for our professional activities, including through the following:
- Receipt of enquiries or consultations via contact form
- Engagement of services, including execution of retainer agreements, identity verification, and conflict-of-interest checks
- Provision of documents and materials required for the conduct of our work
- Exchange of business cards and other in-person or online interactions
Where personal information of a sensitive nature is involved, we will obtain the prior consent of the individual concerned, except where permitted by applicable law.
4. Purposes of Use
Personal information collected by us is used for the following purposes:
- Patent, utility model, trademark, and design filing, prosecution, maintenance, searches, opinions, and other IP-related services handled by ORIBE Patent Law Firm
- Commercial registration, real estate registration, inheritance registration, will preparation assistance, and other judicial scrivener services handled by ORIBE Judicial Scrivener Office
- Permit and license applications, document preparation (including articles of incorporation and similar), subsidy and grant application support, and other administrative scrivener services handled by ORIBE Administrative Scrivener Office
- Matters incidental to the above, including consultation responses, identity verification, conflict checks, fee estimates, engagement, invoicing, fee management, communications, and provision of materials
- Filings, notifications, and communications with government agencies, courts, the Japan Patent Office (JPO), Legal Affairs Bureaus, ministries, local governments, overseas associates, collaborating professionals, and other relevant parties
- Responses to enquiries and consultations, and related information provision and follow-up
- Analysis for the improvement of our services and website usability
We will not use personal information beyond the scope necessary to achieve the purposes listed above.
5. Provision of Personal Information to Third Parties
We will not provide personal data to third parties without the consent of the individual concerned, except as permitted by Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information or other applicable laws.
However, to the extent necessary to perform the services instructed to us, we may provide personal information to government agencies, courts, the JPO, Legal Affairs Bureaus, ministries, local governments, overseas associates, collaborating professionals, and other relevant parties.
Where it is necessary to provide personal data to a third party located outside Japan (such as an overseas associate firm), we will take appropriate measures in accordance with Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information and other applicable laws, including providing necessary information and, where required, obtaining consent.
6. Joint Use of Personal Information
To ensure that inquiries and matters are reviewed and handled by the appropriate professional office, personal information may be jointly used among the following offices within ORIBE GROUP, only to the extent necessary for the purposes stated below.
- Items of personal information jointly used: Name, company or organization name, address, telephone number, contact details, inquiry details, consultation or instruction details, submitted materials, identity verification information, and other information necessary to respond to inquiries or provide services within each office’s professional scope
- Scope of joint users: ORIBE Patent Law Firm, ORIBE Judicial Scrivener Office, and ORIBE Administrative Scrivener Office
- Purpose of joint use: To respond to inquiries, refer matters to the appropriate professional office, provide services within each office’s professional scope, verify identity, communicate with the inquirer or client, and maintain records
- Parties responsible for the management of jointly used personal data:
Each office is responsible according to the professional field of the matter handled.
ORIBE Patent Law Firm — Representative Patent Attorney: Hiroto Furuta
ORIBE Judicial Scrivener Office / ORIBE Administrative Scrivener Office — Representative Judicial Scrivener / Administrative Scrivener: Mami Kubota - Address: RT Shirakawa Building 6F, 2-6-1 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 460-0008, Japan
Personal information and inquiry details will be jointly used only to the extent necessary for the purposes stated above and will be handled within the professional scope and confidentiality obligations of each office.
7. Management and Security of Personal Information
We implement necessary and appropriate measures to prevent the leakage, loss, or damage of personal information, and to otherwise ensure the security of personal information. We also exercise necessary and appropriate oversight over employees and contractors who handle personal information.
Information obtained through our professional work is subject to the duty of confidentiality under the Patent Attorney Act (弁理士法), the Judicial Scrivener Act (司法書士法), the Administrative Scrivener Act (行政書士法), and other applicable laws.
In the event of a leakage or similar incident involving personal data that requires reporting to Japan’s Personal Information Protection Commission or notification to the individual concerned, we will respond appropriately in accordance with applicable law.
8. Disclosure, Correction, and Suspension of Use
Where an individual requests notification of the purpose of use, disclosure, correction, addition, deletion, suspension of use, erasure, or cessation of third-party provision of their retained personal data, we will verify the identity of the requestor and respond promptly in accordance with applicable law. This does not apply where we are not legally obliged to respond.
Please contact us via our contact form for details of the request procedure, identity verification method, and any applicable fees.
9. Cookies and Access Analytics
Our website may use cookies to improve usability and to understand access patterns. We may also use access analytics tools such as Google Analytics.
Information collected through these tools is generally obtained in a form that does not directly identify individuals. If you prefer not to have cookies used, you may disable them through your browser settings, although some functions of our website may not operate correctly as a result.
10. Information Submitted via Contact Form
Personal information submitted via the contact form on this website is used to respond to enquiries and consultations, to confirm the content of instructions, to assess whether we can accept a matter, to provide fee estimates, and to provide related information — as well as to the extent necessary to perform any services subsequently instructed to us.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time in response to changes in applicable laws or in our operations. Any amended policy will take effect from the time it is posted on this website.
12. Contact
For enquiries, questions, or complaints regarding our handling of personal information, please contact us via our contact form.
Business hours: Monday–Friday, 09:00–18:00 JST (closed weekends and public holidays)
→ Contact Form
Last updated: 1 June 2026