Management device, management method, and computer program

Abstract

Understand the costs involved in industrial property rights procedures, which vary depending on the circumstances. [Solution] The management device 10 manages the payment of fees required for industrial property rights procedures. The management device 10 comprises a storage unit 11 and a control unit 12. The storage unit 11 records the old fee table before the legal amendment and the new fee table after the legal amendment. The control unit 12 calculates the difference between the old fees for industrial property rights before the legal amendment, calculated by referring to the old fee table, and the new fees for industrial property rights after the legal amendment, calculated by referring to the new fee table.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a management device and a management method for managing the payment of fees required for industrial property right procedures. The present invention also relates to a computer program executable by the management device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a management device for managing the payment of fees (so-called maintenance annuities) required to maintain industrial property rights (patent rights, utility model rights, design rights or trademark rights). The management device calculates the amount of maintenance annuity required within an arbitrary period.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, since corresponding fees are incurred to acquire and maintain industrial property rights, it is required for the right holder to manage the budget for future fees regarding industrial property rights. However, although the fees paid to the Patent Office (Office fees) are determined by laws and regulations, they may be changed, for example, with the amendment of the Industrial Property Right Law (Patent Law, Utility Model Law, Design Law or Trademark Law), and it is difficult to manage the budget.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to grasp the fees required for industrial property right procedures that vary according to the situation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The management device according to the first aspect of the present invention is a management device for managing the payment of fees required for industrial property right procedures, The old fare table before the legal amendment and the new fare table after the legal amendment are recorded in the memory unit. A control unit that calculates the difference between the old cost of the industrial property rights before the legal amendment, calculated by referring to the old fee table, and the new cost of the industrial property rights after the legal amendment, calculated by referring to the new fee table, It is equipped with.

[0007] The control method according to a second aspect of the present invention is: A management system for managing the payment of expenses required for industrial property rights procedures, A management device having a storage unit that records the old fare table before the legal amendment and the new fare table after the legal amendment, and a control unit that can access the storage unit, The system calculates the difference between the old fees for industrial property rights before the legal amendment, calculated by referring to the old fee table, and the new fees for industrial property rights after the legal amendment, calculated by referring to the new fee table.

[0008] A computer program according to a third aspect of the present invention is: A computer program executable by a management device for managing the payment of fees required for industrial property rights proceedings, By being executed, the management device will The system calculates the difference between the pre-amendment fees for the aforementioned industrial property rights, calculated by referring to the old fee table before the amendment, and the new fees for the aforementioned industrial property rights, calculated by referring to the new fee table after the amendment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to grasp the costs required for industrial property rights procedures, which vary depending on the circumstances. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 illustrates the configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of a case database. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 shows an example of a fee table included in a cost database. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows an example of a customer database. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows an example of the flow of the difference calculation process executed by the control unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows an example of a screen displayed on a customer's terminal. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows another example of a fee table included in a cost database. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows an example of the distribution of the number of industrial property rights for each payment year of new fees. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows an example of the distribution of the total payment amount for each payment year of new fees. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows an example of a legal database. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows another example of a case database. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 shows an example of a screen displayed on a customer's terminal. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 illustrates the configuration of a management device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 shows an example of a case database. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 shows an example of a fee table included in a cost database. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 illustrates the flow of the maintenance annuity payment process executed by the control unit. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an example of a screen displayed on a customer's terminal. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 illustrates the configuration of a management device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 illustrates the flow of the maintenance annuity payment process executed by the control unit.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0011] With reference to the attached drawings, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0012] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 illustrates the configuration of a management device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The management device 10 is a device for managing the payment of expenses required to maintain industrial property rights (hereinafter simply referred to as maintenance annuities). Maintenance annuities for industrial property rights are an example of the expenses required for procedures related to industrial property rights.

[0013] In this specification, the term "industrial property right" includes not only registered industrial property rights but also industrial property rights that are pending registration but not yet registered. In other words, the term "maintenance annuity for industrial property rights" as used herein may include not only the expenses incurred to maintain industrial property rights after registration but also the expenses incurred to maintain industrial property rights during the application process. Hereafter, industrial property rights, including those pending registration, will simply be referred to as industrial property rights.

[0014] The management device 10 is, for example, a device managed by an applicant or rights holder of an industrial property right, or by the applicant or rights holder's application agent. Alternatively, the management device 10 is, for example, a device managed by an annuity management company. In this example, we will describe the case where the management device 10 is managed by an annuity management company. That is, the annuity management company uses the management device 10 to manage the payment of maintenance annuities for industrial property rights requested by its clients (applicants or rights holders, or their application agents).

[0015] As illustrated in Figure 1, the management device 10 is connected to the terminals 30 of one or more customers via a wireless communication network 20 in a way that allows for notification. The management device 10 manages the payment of maintenance annuities for one or more industrial property rights for each of the one or more customers.

[0016] The customer uses terminal 30 to request the pension management company to manage the payment of maintenance annuities for industrial property rights. Specifically, the customer notifies the management device 10 of the industrial property rights for which they request management of maintenance annuity payments via terminal 30. When the customer receives an inquiry from the management device 10 regarding the payment of maintenance annuities, they decide whether to maintain the industrial property rights and determine whether maintenance annuity payments are necessary. The customer then uses terminal 30 to instruct the management device 10 whether maintenance annuity payments are necessary. Note that the customer's terminal 30 may be a terminal owned by the customer, or a terminal not owned by the customer that the customer logs into. The terminal may be a personal computer, a tablet device, or a mobile phone.

[0017] The management device 10 has a storage unit 11. The storage unit 11 contains a case database 111. It includes a cost database 112 and a customer database 113.

[0018] The case database 111 records information about industrial property rights, associated with the management number assigned to each industrial property right. Whenever a client requests management of maintenance annuity payments for a new industrial property right, information about the requested industrial property right is added to the case database 111.

[0019] Information on industrial property rights includes bibliographic information and maintenance annuity information on industrial property rights. Bibliographic information for industrial property rights includes, for example, the country of application, type of right, application number, registration number, priority date, application date, registration date, applicant, right holder, customer, customer reference number, and number of claims / designs / classes. Maintenance annuity information for industrial property rights includes, for example, the annual maintenance annuity, payment due date, expected payment amount, and payment status. The country of application, type of right, application date or priority date, and registration date are examples of information used to identify the annual and payment due dates for maintenance annuities.

[0020] Figure 2 shows an example of case database 111. In this example, case database 111 records information associated with a management number, including the country of application, type of right, application number, application date, registration number, registration date, number of claims / designs / classes, right holder, customer, customer reference number, payment deadline for the next annual maintenance fee, payment status, and value information. The types of rights include patents, utility models, designs, and trademarks. The value information indicates the value of the industrial property right.

[0021] Cost Database 112 records both the old fee table (before the legal amendment) and the new fee table (after the legal amendment) for maintenance pensions. The old fee table records the payment amounts before the legal amendment. The new fee table records the payment amounts before the legal amendment.

[0022] Figure 3 shows an example of a fee table included in the cost database 112. In this example, a fee table for maintenance fees for Japanese patent applications is shown, and the old and new fee tables are combined. The fee table records the annual maintenance fee payable to the Japan Patent Office, both before and after the legal amendment. In this example, the fee table shown is for when the legal amendment comes into effect on October 1, 2021. In other words, the payment amount shown is for payments made before September 30, 2021, as the payment amount before the legal amendment, and the payment amount shown is for payments made on or after October 1, 2021, as the payment amount after the legal amendment. For example, the annual maintenance pension payment before the legal amendment was a basic fee of 2,100 yen plus an additional fee of 200 yen for each claim. After the legal amendment, A basic fee of 4,300 yen is charged, with an additional 300 yen for each claim. The old and new fee tables may be recorded as separate tables in the cost database 112. The fee table may also include agent fees in addition to fees payable to the Japan Patent Office.

[0023] The old and new fee tables may be rewritten whenever information on new legal amendments concerning maintenance pensions becomes available. Alternatively, a new fee table may be added whenever information on new legal amendments concerning maintenance pensions becomes available. In this case, a fee table that becomes the new fee table when based on legal amendments in a certain year will become the old fee table when based on legal amendments made after that year. For example, if legal amendments are made frequently in a short period of time, two or more fee tables, such as the October 2020 fee table, the April 2021 fee table, and the October 2021 fee table, may be recorded in the cost database 112. Information on legal amendments may be obtained, for example, from the Japan Patent Office system 40 (see Figure 1) via the wireless communication network 20.

[0024] The customer database 113 records customer identification information, passwords, and customer names. The customer identification information and passwords are used in the login process when a customer connects to the management device 10 using a terminal 30.

[0025] Figure 4 shows an example of a customer database 113. In this example, customer identification information, password, customer name, and annual budget amount are recorded. The password and budget amount are obtained from the customer in advance and recorded in the customer database 113. Note that the budget amount is... It doesn't have to be limited to an annual budget; for example, a monthly budget amount would also be acceptable.

[0026] As illustrated in Figure 1, the control device 10 has a control unit 12. The control unit 12 is The control unit 12 is connected to the storage unit 11 via a network for communication. The control unit 12 may also be configured to form a single device together with the storage unit 11.

[0027] The control unit 12 is configured to handle the payment procedures for maintenance annuities for industrial property rights. Specifically, the control unit 12 inquires with the customer about the payment of maintenance annuities for industrial property rights and carries out the payment procedures based on the customer's instructions. For example, the control unit 12 makes the payment of maintenance annuities to the Japan Patent Office system 40, which is connected via the wireless communication network 20. Alternatively, the control unit 12 issues instructions for the payment of maintenance annuities to the annuity payment agent system 50, which is connected via the wireless communication network 20.

[0028] Furthermore, the control unit 12 is configured to calculate the difference between the old cost of industrial property rights before the legal amendment, calculated by referring to the old fee table included in the cost database 112, and the new cost of industrial property rights after the legal amendment, calculated by referring to the new fee table. For example, the control unit 12 may be configured to calculate the difference when it obtains information on new legal amendments concerning maintenance pensions. Alternatively, the control unit 12 may be configured to calculate the difference based on input instructions from a person in charge of the pension management company. For example, when a person in charge of the pension management company notifies a customer about legal amendments, they input an instruction to calculate the difference using the input unit (not shown) of the management device 10.

[0029] Figure 5 illustrates the flow of the difference calculation process executed by the control unit 12. When the control unit 12 receives, for example, an instruction to calculate the difference, it refers to the case database 111, Next, we extract industrial property rights that meet the following conditions: the due date for the next annual maintenance pension payment falls after the effective date of the amended law, and the said maintenance pension can be paid before the effective date of the amended law (i.e., can be paid at the old cost before the amended law) (STEP 1).

[0030] For example, in the case database 111 in Figure 2, management number 001, management number 002, The payment deadline for the next maintenance fees to be paid for management numbers 005 and 006 is November 30, 2021, and the payment deadline for the next maintenance fees to be paid for management numbers 003 and 004 is December 30, 2021. For example, if the effective date of the amendment to the Japanese Patent Maintenance Fee Law is October 1, 2021, the control unit 12 will determine that cases from management numbers 001 to 006 satisfy the above conditions and will extract cases from management numbers 001 to 006. Although cases from management number 007 onwards are not shown in Figure 2, similar cases that satisfy the above conditions will be extracted for management numbers 007 and beyond.

[0031] Next, the control unit 12 refers to the case database 111 and the cost database 112 and calculates the old cost before the legal amendment and the new cost after the legal amendment for the next annual maintenance pension to be paid for the extracted industrial property rights (STEP 2).

[0032] For example, in the case database 111 in Figure 2, the next year to be paid for case number 001 is the 4th year, and there are 4 claims. In the fee table of the cost database 112 in Figure 3, the amount to be paid for the 4th year maintenance pension before the legal amendment is a basic fee of 6,400 yen plus an additional fee of 500 yen for each claim. On the other hand, the amount to be paid for the 4th year maintenance pension after the legal amendment is a basic fee of 10,300 yen plus an additional fee of 800 yen for each claim.

[0033] Therefore, in case number 001, the amount of the maintenance pension payment for the fourth year before the amendment was, The calculation is 6,400 yen + 4 (number of claims) × 500 yen = 8,400 yen. On the other hand, the revised payment amount for the maintenance pension in the fourth year is calculated as 10,300 yen + 4 (number of claims) × 800 yen = 13,500 yen. Similarly, for cases with management number 002 and later, the old and new costs of the maintenance pension for the next year to be paid are calculated.

[0034] Next, the control unit 12 calculates the difference between the old and new maintenance fees for each industrial property right (STEP 3). For example, for case number 001, the difference is calculated as 5,100 yen by subtracting the previous payment amount (old fee) of 8,400 yen from the calculated revised payment amount (new fee) of 13,500 yen. Similarly, For cases with management numbers 002 and later, the difference between the old and new annual maintenance pension fees to be paid will be calculated.

[0035] Next, the control unit 12 notifies the customer of the calculated difference (STEP 4). For example, information regarding the difference may be notified along with information regarding amendments to the maintenance pension law. The control unit 12 sends the information regarding the difference to the customer's terminal 30 via email or an electronic file exchange system. Alternatively, the control unit 12 displays a screen containing the information regarding the difference on the web browser of the management device 10. The customer can check the information regarding the difference on the display unit of the terminal 30 by logging into the management device 10. Alternatively, the control unit 12 may output the web page address information of the screen containing the information regarding the difference to the customer's terminal 30.

[0036] Figure 6 shows an example of a screen displayed on customer ABC's terminal 30. The list displayed on the screen includes information on the difference between the old and new fees for customer ABC's maintenance annuities related to industrial property rights. In this example, the list includes the old and new fees, in addition to the difference between the old and new fees for the next annual maintenance annuity due. The list also includes the statutory deadline and the response deadline. The statutory deadline is the deadline for payment of maintenance annuities to the Japan Patent Office as stipulated by law. The response deadline is the deadline set earlier than the statutory deadline by which the annuity management company hopes the customer will respond in order to encourage a response from the customer. The response deadline may be set earlier than the deadline for payment at the old fees before the legal amendment (i.e., the day before the legal amendment comes into effect), so that if the new fees are higher than the old fees, payment at the old fees before the legal amendment is possible. In this example, the response deadline is set one month earlier (August 30, 2021) than the day before the legal amendment comes into effect (September 30, 2021). The deadlines for payment using the old fees before the legal amendment are recorded in the case database 111 and the cost database 112.

[0037] Generally, acquiring and maintaining industrial property rights incurs considerable costs, so rights holders create and manage budgets for future expenses related to industrial property rights procedures. For example, agency fees, which are future expenses, may change due to legal revisions, and when creating a budget, the agency fees corresponding to the applicable laws are referenced. However, if legal revisions occur after the budget has been created and agency fees change, the actual costs incurred may differ significantly from the budget, and rights holders may be required to reconsider the industrial property rights to be maintained in accordance with the budget, or to revise the budget.

[0038] According to the management device 10 of this embodiment, the difference between the old costs before the amendment of the Industrial Property Rights Act and the new costs after the amendment is calculated, so that the applicant or right holder can grasp the difference in procedural costs that will change due to the amendment of the Act. As a result, the right holder can predict how much the actual costs will differ from the budget, and if necessary, reconsider which Industrial Property Rights should be maintained in accordance with the budget, or revise the budget.

[0039] In particular, maintenance fees for industrial property rights accrue after filing or registration and must be paid continuously for as long as the rights are maintained. Therefore, if the amount of maintenance fees increases due to legal revisions, it becomes a significant burden on the rights holder. In this embodiment, the difference between the old and new maintenance fees is calculated, so the rights holder can refer to the difference in maintenance fees that fluctuates due to legal revisions and reconsider whether or not it is necessary to maintain the industrial property rights.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 12 is configured to manage the deadline for payment using the old fees prior to the legal amendment (in this example, September 30, 2021) when the new fees are higher than the old fees. By managing the payment deadline for the old fees in this way, it is possible to prevent situations where the deadline for payment of the old fees is missed and payment of the old fees becomes impossible.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the control unit 12 may be configured to notify that the new fees are higher than the old fees. In this example, the list in Figure 6 clearly states in text that the payment amount will be higher after the revision. Alternatively, instead of using text, notification may be given by displaying a mark or symbol in the new fee column (the column for revised payment amount B). In this example, it is also clearly stated that payment of the maintenance fee is proposed by the deadline for payment at the old fees (in this example, September 30, 2021). This allows the applicant or rights holder to understand that the new fees are higher than the old fees, and to consider paying at the old fees from a cost reduction perspective.

[0042] Furthermore, if the old cost is higher than the new cost, the control unit 12 may be configured to notify that the old cost is higher than the new cost. Figure 7 shows another example of a fee table included in the cost database 112. In the fee table of Figure 7, unlike the fee table of Figure 3, the amount payable before the legal amendment is higher than the amount payable after the legal amendment. In this case, for example, in the list of Figure 6, a notification may be given that the new cost is lower than the old cost. This allows the applicant or right holder to understand that the new cost is lower than the old cost, and from the perspective of cost reduction, they can consider making the payment procedure at the new cost after the legal amendment comes into effect. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the payment procedure from being unintentionally made at the higher old cost before the legal amendment comes into effect.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the control unit 12 may be configured to calculate a total amount by summing the new costs calculated for each of the multiple industrial property rights, and to calculate the difference between the budget amount for a predetermined period and the total amount of new costs.

[0044] Specifically, the control unit 12 calculates the new expenses in STEP 2 of Figure 5, and then calculates the total amount of the new expenses. The cases extracted in STEP 1 of Figure 5 are those for which the payment deadline for the next annual maintenance pension to be paid falls between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022. In other words, the total amount of new expenses is the sum of the payments that are scheduled to be paid between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022.

[0045] The control unit 12 refers to the customer database 113 in Figure 4 and calculates the difference between the total amount of new expenses calculated and the customer's budget. For example, the control unit 12 determines from the customer database 113 in Figure 4 that customer ABC's budget for Japanese patents for the year starting from October 1st is 3,000,000 yen. For example, if the calculated total amount of new expenses is 2,900,000 yen, the difference obtained by subtracting the total amount of new expenses from the budget is calculated to be 100,000 yen. Then, the control unit 12 adds customer ABC's budget, the total amount of new expenses, and the difference obtained by subtracting the total amount of new expenses from the budget to a list, for example, as shown in Figure 6.

[0046] Since the budget amount and the sum of the new fees after the legal amendment are compared in this way, applicants or rights holders can determine whether the new fees after the legal amendment will fit within their budget. This allows applicants or rights holders to revise their budget, review the maintenance of industrial property rights, or consider proceeding with payment procedures using the old fees before the legal amendment.

[0047] Furthermore, in cases where maintenance pensions are paid over a one-year period, which is the prescribed period for the budgeted amount, there may be a mix of cases where payments have already been made or are scheduled to be made using the old costs before the legal amendment, and cases where payments are scheduled to be made using the new costs after the legal amendment. In such cases, the budgeted amount after subtracting the old costs that have already been paid or are scheduled to be paid from the annual budgeted amount can be compared with the sum of the new costs. In addition, if the budgeted amount includes maintenance pension payments from countries where the legal amendment is not enforced (in this example, countries other than Japan), the budgeted amount after subtracting the maintenance pension costs from those countries can be compared with the sum of the new costs.

[0048] Furthermore, the multiple cases for which the difference is calculated may include, for example, all cases belonging to the same applicant, or multiple cases whose next payment deadline falls within a specified period, or they may include patent rights and utility model rights belonging to a specified technical field, design rights relating to a specified article, trademark rights relating to a specified product or service, etc. The cases for which the difference is calculated may be arbitrarily selected by the user.

[0049] Furthermore, the control unit 12 may create a distribution of the number of industrial property rights for each year of payment of new expenses when the total amount of new expenses is greater than the budgeted amount. Figure 8 shows an example of the distribution of the number of industrial property rights for each year of payment of new expenses. In Figure 8, the horizontal axis shows the year of payment to be made next, and the vertical axis shows the number of industrial property rights. This allows applicants or rights holders to understand the payment years in which maintenance fee payments are concentrated.

[0050] Alternatively, if the total amount of new expenses is greater than the budgeted amount, the control unit 12 may create a distribution of the total amount of new expenses paid for each payment year. Figure 9 shows an example of the distribution of the total amount of new expenses paid for each payment year. In Figure 9, the horizontal axis shows the next payment year, and the vertical axis shows the total amount of payment. The total amount of payment is the sum of the new expenses incurred for each of the multiple industrial property rights for which maintenance annuities are paid in the same year. This allows the applicant or rights holder to understand how much expenditure is required each year.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the control unit 12 may be configured to determine whether to maintain the industrial property right based on the difference between the old and new costs of the industrial property right and value information representing the value of the industrial property right.

[0052] The value of industrial property rights is assessed from various perspectives, such as protecting the rights holder's business or acting as a check on the businesses of other companies. Specifically, the value of industrial property rights is calculated by comprehensively evaluating one or more items and is expressed using numbers, letters, or other symbols.

[0053] For example, in the case database 111 in Figure 2, the value of industrial property rights is evaluated on a five-point scale from 1 to 5. Alternatively, instead of ranking values ​​numerically, they could be ranked using letters (e.g., A, B, C, ...) or characters (e.g., High, Medium, Low). Even in this case, since the value is simply represented numerically and then replaced with letters or characters, it still falls under the category of representing value numerically.

[0054] Examples of items used to calculate value include the level of attention the patent application receives, the status of implemented products, and the status of implementation by other companies. Each item is calculated and evaluated using various existing methods.

[0055] The level of attention an application receives represents the level of attention it receives in relation to the examination of industrial property rights. For example, the level of attention received includes attention from the applicant, attention from the examiner, and attention from third parties. For instance, if an expedited examination is requested, the level of attention received by the applicant is considered high. The more times an industrial property right is cited in the rejection of other industrial property rights, the higher the examiner's attention it is considered to have. For example, if an invalidation trial or opposition is requested, it is considered to have attracted a high level of attention from third parties. The value of an industrial property right is higher the higher the attention it receives from the applicant.

[0056] The "implementation status of products" refers to the status of products in which industrial property rights are exercised. For example, product status may include the number of products in which industrial property rights are exercised, the sales or distribution figures for each product, sales rankings, or the percentage of the market in which products in which industrial property rights are exercised. The value of industrial property rights is higher the greater the number of products in which they are exercised, and the greater the sales or distribution figures for each product.

[0057] "Other companies' implementation status" refers to the extent to which other companies are implementing industrial property rights. For example, other companies' implementation status includes the number of products made by competitors related to the industrial property rights, the sales volume or distribution volume of each product, and the degree of relevance between the industrial property rights and the competitors' products. The value of industrial property rights is higher the more products made by competitors related to the industrial property rights, the greater the sales volume or distribution volume of each product, and the higher the degree of relevance.

[0058] If the value is low, there is a high probability of relinquishing the industrial property rights. If the value is high, there is a high probability of retaining the industrial property rights. Also, if the cost of maintenance annuities can be kept to some extent, For example, in the case of industrial property rights that are currently judged to be of moderate value (neither high nor low in value), the possibility of their value increasing in the future may be considered, and a decision may be made to maintain those industrial property rights.

[0059] For example, if the new costs are high, the control unit 12 proposes to the customer that, for industrial property rights of moderate value, the customer maintain the industrial property rights on the condition that the amount of the old costs is paid by the deadline for payment of the old costs. Alternatively, if the old costs are high, the control unit 12 proposes to the customer that, for industrial property rights of moderate value, the customer maintain the industrial property rights on the condition that the amount of the new costs is paid after the application of the legal amendment.

[0060] Generally, determining whether or not to maintain industrial property rights is difficult because it is judged based on the value of the industrial property rights in addition to the costs required for the industrial property rights procedure. The management device 10 makes the decision on whether or not to maintain industrial property rights based on the difference between the old and new maintenance fees and their value, thus reducing the burden on rights holders in the maintenance decision process.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the control unit 12 calculates the difference between the old cost and the new cost only for the payment amount of the next year to be paid. However, the control unit 12 may be configured to calculate the difference between the old cost and the new cost for all annual payments that can be paid by the deadline under the old cost.

[0062] For example, as illustrated in Figure 1, the memory unit 11 may include a legal database 114. The legal database 114 records the country of application, and the year and start date for payment of the maintenance fee. The start date for payment is the earliest possible date on which the maintenance fee for each year can be paid.

[0063] Figure 10 shows an example of a legal database 114. In this example, the legal database 114 records the country of application, type of right, start date of payment deadline, payment year, and possible start date for payment. In the type of right, P stands for patent, D for design, and T for trademark. For example, in the case of a Japanese patent, the maintenance fees for the first to third years must be paid within 30 days from the date of receipt of the registration decision notice. Also, the payment amounts for each year from the first to the 20th year can be paid in a lump sum. In other words, the possible start date for payment of maintenance fees for all years is the date of receipt of the registration decision notice.

[0064] The control unit 12 may be configured to identify industrial property rights and annuals that can be paid at the old cost, which is lower than the new cost, based on the cost database 112, the case database 111, and the legal database 114. The control unit 12 then refers to the old rate table and the new rate table and calculates the difference between the old cost and the new cost for annual annuities that can be paid at the old cost for the identified industrial property rights.

[0065] For example, from the legal database 114 in Figure 10, in the case of Japanese patents, all annual maintenance fees can be paid at any time from the date of receipt of the registration decision notice. Therefore, if a legal amendment regarding Japanese maintenance fees is implemented, the control unit 12 will refer to the case database 111, Industrial property rights that can be paid at the old fees before the legal amendment, which are lower than the new fees after the legal amendment, are identified as Japanese patent cases, including those with management numbers 001 to 006, and it is determined that payment at the old fees is possible for all annual maintenance fees. Then, the difference between the old fees and the new fees is calculated for all annual maintenance fees for Japanese patent cases, including those with management numbers 001 to 006.

[0066] In this way, among multiple industrial property rights, the cases and years for which it is possible to pay maintenance fees at the old rates are identified, and the difference between the old and new rates is calculated, so it is possible to understand how much the maintenance fees will be reduced if paid in advance. Therefore, the applicant or right holder can understand which of the multiple industrial property rights are eligible for reduction through advance payment and the amount of the reduction.

[0067] In Japan, all annual maintenance fees for patents can be paid in advance. However, In other countries, it may not be possible to pay all annual maintenance annuities in advance. For example, in the legal database 114 in Figure 10, for US patents, the payments for the 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years can be made starting six months before the payment deadline for each year. In other words, the start date for payment of each annual maintenance annuity is six months before the payment deadline for each year.

[0068] For example, if a legal amendment to maintenance annuity laws in the United States goes into effect on October 1, 2021, the deadline for payment at the old rates before the amendment is September 30, 2021. In this case, U.S. patent cases that can be paid at the old rates, which are cheaper than the new rates, are those where the six-month period prior to the next annual maintenance annuity payment deadline is before September 30, 2021.

[0069] In the case database 111 shown in Figure 2, the payment deadline for the 3.5th year of case number 101 is November 30, 2022, and the maintenance annuity for the 3.5th year can be paid from May 30, 2022. The payment deadline for the 3.5th year of case number 102 is November 30, 2021, and the maintenance annuity for the 3.5th year can be paid from May 30, 2021. The control unit 12 refers to the case database 111 and identifies case number 102 as the only US patent case that can be paid at the old rate, which is cheaper than the new rate, and determines that payment at the old rate is possible for the 3.5th year. On the other hand, it is determined that payment at the old rate is not possible for the 3.5th year of case number 101. The control unit 12 calculates the difference between the old rate and the new rate only for the 3.5th year maintenance annuity of case number 102.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the control unit 12 may be configured to acquire the budget management period and calculate the total amount of maintenance annuities for multiple industrial property rights that are expected to be incurred during the budget management period.

[0071] Specifically, when the control unit 12 obtains the budget management period, it identifies from the case database 111 multiple industrial property rights whose payment deadlines fall within the budget management period. The budget management period is, for example, obtained in advance from the customer and recorded in the case database 111 or the customer database 113. The control unit 12 obtains the budget management period from the case database 111 or the customer database 113. Alternatively, the budget management period may be obtained from the customer's terminal 30 when calculating the total amount.

[0072] The control unit 12 then calculates a total amount for each industrial property right, which is the sum of the old fees for annual pensions that could be paid using the old fees before the legal amendment and the new fees for annual pensions that could not be paid using the old fees before the legal amendment.

[0073] For example, when the control unit 12 obtains a two-year budget management period, it refers to the case database 111 to identify industrial property rights and their respective years for which the maintenance annuity payment deadline falls within two years from the present time, and calculates the total amount of maintenance annuity payments for the identified years. For example, in the case database 111 shown in Figure 2, if the present time is June 1, 2021, it identifies maintenance annuities whose payment deadline falls by June 1, 2023. For example, in the case of a Japanese patent, the payment deadline for the fourth year of case number 001 is November 30, 2021, the payment deadline for the fifth year is November 30, 2022, and the payment deadline for the sixth year is November 30, 2023. Therefore, for case number 001, the fourth and fifth year maintenance annuities are identified as years for which maintenance annuities are paid during the budget management period. Similarly, for cases with management numbers 002 and later, the annual maintenance annuities due by June 1, 2023 will be identified. Since all annual maintenance annuities in Japanese patents can be paid at the old rates, the sum of the old rates for the identified annual maintenance annuities will be calculated.

[0074] Furthermore, in the case of Japanese patents, as mentioned above, it is possible to pay all annual maintenance fees in advance, so all annual maintenance fees may be identified as years in which payment is possible during the budget management period.

[0075] Furthermore, in this example, Japanese patents whose payment deadlines fall within the budget management period are identified. However, in addition to Japanese patents, cases from other countries (for example, the United States) may also be similarly identified as cases whose payment deadlines fall within the budget management period.

[0076] In this way, the total amount of maintenance annuities for industrial property rights that are expected to accrue over any given period can be calculated, allowing for budget management and other operations to be carried out while checking this total amount.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the control unit 12 may be configured to inquire with multiple customers whether or not they are required to pay maintenance annuities for jointly owned industrial property rights. The control unit 12 may then be configured to receive responses from each of the multiple customers regarding the necessity of annuity payments and to notify all customers of each response.

[0078] For example, Figure 11 shows another example of the case database 111. In the case database 111 shown in Figure 11, case number 007 is a patent jointly owned by rights holders ABC and BCD. The control unit 12 refers to the case database 111 and inquires with customers ABC and BCD whether they are required to pay the 5th year maintenance fee for case number 007. Once the control unit 12 receives responses from customers ABC and BCD regarding the requirement to pay the maintenance fee, it notifies customers ABC and BCD of their respective responses.

[0079] Figure 12 shows an example of the screen displayed on customer A, B, and C's terminal 30. In this example, the screen shown in Figure 12 also includes the payment burden rate, the co-applicants (BCD), and the response regarding whether payment is required or not. In this way, each customer's response is notified to all customers. If you respond before other co-consultants, you can show your intentions to them and thus influence their intentions. Also, if other co-consultants respond before you, you can learn about their intentions and use them as a reference when considering your own response.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the management device 10 is configured to manage the payment of maintenance fees. However, the management device 10 may be configured to manage the payment of fees incurred in the procedures from the filing of an industrial property right to the granting of the right. For example, the management device 10 may be configured to manage the payment of fees such as examination request fees and approval fees, in addition to or instead of maintenance fees. Examples of fees incurred in the procedures for industrial property rights, from which the difference is calculated, may include examination request fees and approval fees, in addition to maintenance fees.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the difference between the old and new costs and the value information calculated for industrial property rights are treated as separate pieces of information. However, for example, the control unit 12 may be configured to reflect the calculated difference in value information representing the value of industrial property rights. Generally, the costs required for procedures related to industrial property rights, such as maintenance annuities, can be used as a basis for determining whether or not to maintain industrial property rights. In other words, the costs required for procedures related to industrial property rights can be one of the indicators that form the value of industrial property rights. By reflecting the calculated difference in value information representing the value of industrial property rights, more accurate value information can be provided.

[0082] (Second embodiment) Next, a management device 210 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 13. The management device 10 according to the first embodiment calculates the difference in procedural costs that fluctuate due to legal revisions. In contrast, the management device 210 according to the second embodiment is configured to calculate the amount of procedural costs before and after the change, or the difference, which fluctuates depending on the number of inventions, designs, or classes.

[0083] Figure 13 illustrates the configuration of a management device 210 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The management device 210 is a device for managing the payment of maintenance fees for industrial property rights. Maintenance fees for industrial property rights are an example of the costs required for procedures related to industrial property rights. Components that have the same configuration as the management device 10 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0084] The management device 210 includes a storage unit 211 and a control unit 212. The control unit 212 is connected to the storage unit 211 via a network for communication. The control unit 212 may also be configured to form a single device together with the storage unit 211.

[0085] The memory unit 211 includes a case database 111, a cost database 2112, and a customer database 113. The case database 111 records information regarding industrial property rights, associated with the management number assigned to each industrial property right. Figure 14 shows: An example of case database 111 is shown. In this example, case database 111 records the country of application, type of right, application number, application date, registration number, registration date, number of claims / designs / classes, right holder, customer, customer reference number, payment deadline for the next annual maintenance fee, and payment status, all associated with a management number.

[0086] The cost database 2112 records fee tables that include a base fee included in the maintenance fee and a variable fee that varies depending on the number of inventions, designs, or classes added to the base fee. Figure 15 shows an example of a fee table included in the cost database 2112. In this example, a fee table for maintenance fees for Japanese patent applications is shown.

[0087] The customer database 113 records customer identification information, passwords, and customer names.

[0088] The control unit 212 is configured to handle the procedures for paying maintenance fees for industrial property rights. Specifically, the control unit 212 inquires with the customer regarding the payment of maintenance fees for industrial property rights. The system processes the payment of maintenance pensions based on customer instructions. For example, the control unit 212 makes the payment of maintenance pensions to the Japan Patent Office system 40, which is connected via the wireless communication network 20. Alternatively, the control unit 212 issues instructions for the payment of maintenance pensions to the pension payment agent system 50, which is connected via the wireless communication network 20.

[0089] Furthermore, the control unit 212 is configured to calculate the amount of maintenance fees payable based on the number of inventions, designs, or classes included in the industrial property right, and the amount of maintenance fees payable based on a number of inventions, designs, or classes that is less than the number of inventions, designs, or classes included in the said industrial property right.

[0090] For example, the control unit 212 may be configured to calculate the maintenance fee based on a smaller number of inventions if the maintenance fee amount calculated based on the number of inventions, designs, or classes included in the industrial property right exceeds a predetermined value. The predetermined value may be set as appropriate by the customer. The predetermined value may be recorded, for example, in the customer database 113.

[0091] Figure 16 illustrates the flow of the maintenance pension payment process executed by the control unit 212. First, the control unit 212 refers to the case database 111 and extracts industrial property rights whose maintenance pension payment deadlines fall within a predetermined period (STEP 11). For example, the predetermined period can be a six-month period from the present into the future. The control unit 212 executes the process in STEP 11, for example, at each predetermined period (for example, once a month).

[0092] For example, if the specified period is set to a 6-month period from the present into the future, and STEP 1 is executed on November 30, 2021, then from the case database 111 shown in Figure 14, cases with management numbers 011 to 012 whose payment deadline is before May 30, 2022 will be extracted.

[0093] Next, the control unit 212 calculates the amount of maintenance fees payable for the extracted industrial property rights (STEP 12). For example, in the case database 111 in Figure 14, the number of inventions (number of claims) for case number 011 is 15, and the next year for which maintenance fees should be paid is 10 years. Case number 012 has 21 inventions, and the next year for which maintenance annuity payments are due is the 15th year. In the fee table of cost database 2112 in Figure 15, the amount of maintenance annuity payment for the 10th year is a basic fee of 55,400 yen plus an additional fee of 4,300 yen for each claim. Similarly, the amount of maintenance annuity payment for the 15th year is a basic fee of 55,400 yen plus an additional fee of 4,300 yen for each claim. Therefore, for case number 011, the amount of maintenance annuity payment for the 10th year is calculated to be 119,900 yen. Also, for case number 012, the amount of maintenance annuity payment for the 15th year is calculated to be 145,700 yen.

[0094] Next, the control unit 212 determines whether the calculated amount of maintenance pension payments for industrial property rights exceeds a predetermined value (STEP 13). For example, the maintenance pension payment for the 10th year of case number 011 is 119,900 yen, and the maintenance pension payment for the 15th year of case number 012 is 145,700 yen. If the predetermined value is 100,000 yen, it is determined that the maintenance pension payments for cases number 011 and 012 exceed the predetermined value.

[0095] If it is determined that the calculated amount of maintenance fees for industrial property rights does not exceed a predetermined value (NO in STEP 13), the control unit 212 will contact the customer to inquire about the payment of the maintenance fees. (STEP 14).

[0096] On the other hand, if the control unit 212 determines that the calculated amount of maintenance fees for industrial property rights exceeds a predetermined value (YES in STEP 13), it calculates the amount of maintenance fees based on a number of inventions less than the number of inventions included in the industrial property rights (STEP 15). For example, it calculates the amount of maintenance fees based on a number of inventions one less than the number of inventions included in the industrial property rights.

[0097] Next, it is determined whether the calculated amount of maintenance pension payments for industrial property rights exceeds a predetermined value (STEP 16), and STEP 15 and STEP 16 are repeated until the calculated payment amount no longer exceeds the predetermined value. For example, in the case of management number 011, if there are 5 claims, the amount of maintenance pension payments for the 10th year will be 76,900 yen, which is determined not to exceed the predetermined value. In the case of management number 012, if there are 8 claims, the amount of maintenance pension payments for the 15th year will be 89,800 yen, which is determined not to exceed the predetermined value.

[0098] If it is determined that the calculated amount of maintenance fees for industrial property rights does not exceed a predetermined value (YES in STEP 16), the customer will be notified of the amount of maintenance fees to be paid before and after the reduction in the number of inventions, along with an inquiry regarding the payment of maintenance fees (STEP 17).

[0099] Figure 17 shows an example of a screen displayed on customer BCD's terminal 30. The list displayed on the screen contains information about customer BCD's industrial property rights. In this example, it includes registration number, payment deadline, payment year, current number of claims, payment amount based on current number of claims, reduced number of claims, and payment amount based on reduced number of claims.

[0100] According to the management device 210 of this embodiment, it is possible to grasp the amount of maintenance fees payable, which fluctuates depending on the number of inventions related to industrial property rights. This allows for considerations such as deleting unnecessary inventions.

[0101] In this embodiment, if the amount of maintenance fees for industrial property rights exceeds a predetermined value, the amount of maintenance fees is calculated based on a smaller number of inventions. By setting a predetermined value according to their budget, customers can determine the amount of fees that will stay within their budget if the total amount exceeds their budget.

[0102] In this embodiment, if the amount of maintenance fees paid for industrial property rights exceeds a predetermined value, the customer is notified of the number of inventions corresponding to the maintenance fee amount that does not exceed the predetermined value. The customer can then understand the number of inventions that should be reduced.

[0103] In this embodiment, the control unit 212 may be configured to calculate the difference between the maintenance fee calculated based on the number of inventions included in the industrial property right and the maintenance fee calculated based on a number of inventions less than the number of inventions included in the industrial property right. This difference may be displayed in the list in Figure 17. This allows the customer to understand how much they can reduce their fees by reducing the number of inventions.

[0104] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 212 calculates a payment amount such that the amount of industrial property rights does not exceed a predetermined value. However, the control unit 212 may be configured to calculate a payment amount when the number of claims for industrial property rights does not exceed a predetermined number of claims. Alternatively, the control unit 212 may calculate a payment amount when the amount of industrial property rights is 50%.

[0105] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 212 displays the maximum number of claims and its payment amount in the list in Figure 17, where the payment amount does not exceed a predetermined value. However, for example, the payment amount for each invention up to the predetermined value may also be displayed.

[0106] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the management device 210 is configured to manage the payment of maintenance fees. However, the management device 210 may be configured to manage the payment of fees incurred in the procedures from filing an industrial property right to obtaining the right. For example, the management device 210 may be configured to manage the payment of examination request fees and approval fees, in addition to or instead of maintenance fees. Examples of fees incurred in the procedures for industrial property rights, whose payment amount fluctuates depending on the number of inventions, may include examination request fees in addition to maintenance fees.

[0107] (Third embodiment) Next, a management device 310 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 18. The management device 210 according to the second embodiment calculates the amount before and after the change in procedural costs, or the difference, which fluctuates depending on the number of inventions, designs, or classes. In contrast, the management device 310 according to the third embodiment is configured to calculate the amount before and after the change in maintenance fees, or the difference, which fluctuates due to the application of the license of right.

[0108] Figure 18 illustrates the configuration of a management device 310 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The management device 310 is a device for managing the payment of maintenance fees for industrial property rights. Maintenance fees for industrial property rights are an example of the costs required for procedures related to industrial property rights. Components that have the same configuration as those in the management device 10 according to the first embodiment and the management device 210 according to the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0109] The management device 310 includes a storage unit 311 and a control unit 312. The control unit 312 is connected to the storage unit 311 via a network so as to be able to communicate. The control unit 312 may also be configured to form a single device together with the storage unit 311.

[0110] The memory unit 211 includes a case database 111, a cost database 3112, a customer database 113, and a legal database 3114. The case database 111 records information on industrial property rights, associated with the management number assigned to each industrial property right. The customer database 113 records customer identification information, passwords, and customer names, etc.

[0111] Cost Database 3112 contains information on the contribution amounts to maintenance pensions in each country. This information includes, for example, the amount of the maintenance pension contribution or information for calculating the contribution amount.

[0112] Legal database 3114 includes information on countries where the license of right is applicable, and the costs involved when the license of right applies (e.g., reduction rates).

[0113] The control unit 312 is configured to handle the procedures for paying maintenance annuities for industrial property rights. Specifically, the control unit 312 inquires with the customer regarding the payment of maintenance fees for industrial property rights. The system processes the payment of maintenance pensions based on customer instructions. For example, the control unit 312 makes the payment of maintenance pensions to the Japan Patent Office system 40, which is connected via the wireless communication network 20. Alternatively, the control unit 312 issues instructions for the payment of maintenance pensions to the pension payment agent system 50, which is connected via the wireless communication network 20.

[0114] Furthermore, the control unit 312 is configured to calculate the amount of maintenance fees payable when the License of Right does not apply and when the License of Right does apply, based on the case database 111 and the legal database 3114, if it determines that the License of Right is applicable to the industrial property rights.

[0115] Furthermore, the control unit 312 may be configured to calculate the difference between the amount of maintenance pension to be paid when the License of Right does not apply and the amount of maintenance pension to be paid when the License of Right does apply.

[0116] Figure 19 illustrates the flow of the maintenance pension payment process executed by the control unit 312. First, the control unit 312 refers to the case database 111 and extracts industrial property rights whose maintenance pension payment deadlines fall within a predetermined period (STEP 21). For example, the predetermined period can be a six-month period from the present into the future. The control unit 312 executes the process in STEP 21, for example, at each predetermined period (for example, once a month).

[0117] Next, the control unit 212 refers to the case database 111 and the cost database 3112 to calculate the amount of maintenance pension payments for the extracted industrial property rights (STEP 22).

[0118] Next, the control unit 212 refers to the legal database 3114 and determines whether the License of Right applies to the extracted industrial property right application country (STEP 23). If it is determined that the License of Right does not apply to the extracted industrial property right application country (NO in STEP 23), the control unit 212 inquires with the customer about the payment of maintenance fees (STEP 24). In this case, the customer is notified of the amount to be paid if the License of Right does not apply.

[0119] On the other hand, if it is determined that the license of right is applicable to the extracted industrial property rights application countries (YES in STEP 23), the control unit 312 will, The cost database 3112 and the legal database 3114 are referenced to calculate the maintenance pension payment amount if the License of Right applies (STEP 25). Then, the control unit 212 inquires with the customer about the payment of the maintenance pension (STEP 26). In this case, the customer is notified of the calculated payment amount if the License of Right does not apply and the payment amount if the License of Right does apply.

[0120] According to the management device 310 of this embodiment, it is possible to grasp the amount of maintenance pension payments that fluctuate due to the application of the License of Right. This allows for consideration of utilizing the License of Right system.

[0121] In this embodiment, the management device 310 is configured to manage the payment of maintenance fees. However, the management device 310 may be configured to manage the payment of fees incurred in the procedures from filing an application for industrial property rights to obtaining those rights. For example, the management device 310 may be configured to manage the payment of fees such as examination request fees and approval fees, in addition to or instead of maintenance fees.

[0122] The control units 12, 212, and 312, which have the various functions described above, include a processor, non-temporary recording means, and temporary recording means. The non-temporary recording means and temporary recording means can be implemented by general-purpose memory. Examples of general-purpose memory include ROM and RAM. In this case, the ROM may store a computer program (computer-readable instruction) that performs the above-mentioned processing. The processor can be implemented by a general-purpose microprocessor that works in cooperation with the general-purpose memory. Examples of general-purpose microprocessors include a CPU, MPU, and GPU. The general-purpose microprocessor selects at least a portion of the computer program stored in the ROM and loads it onto the RAM. The above-described process is executed in cooperation with RAM. The above computer program may be pre-installed in general-purpose memory, or it may be downloaded from an external server device via a wireless communication network and then installed in general-purpose memory.

[0123] The processor may be implemented by a dedicated integrated circuit capable of executing the above-mentioned computer program, such as a microcontroller, ASIC, or FPGA. In this case, the above-mentioned computer program is pre-installed in the memory elements included in the dedicated integrated circuit. Each processor can also be realized through a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a dedicated integrated circuit.

[0124] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the description of these embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications to the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and the scope of its equivalents.

[0125] In the above embodiment, only the official fees are shown as the costs required for industrial property rights proceedings. However, the costs required for industrial property rights proceedings may include agent fees in addition to the official fees.

[0126] In the above embodiment, the costs required for patent procedures are calculated as the costs required for industrial property rights procedures. However, the costs required for utility model, design, or trademark procedures may also be calculated. For example, if the costs required for design or trademark procedures are calculated, the costs required for design or trademark procedures, which vary depending on the number of designs or classes, are recorded in cost database 112 and cost database 2112.

[0127] The above embodiment describes a case where the management device 10 is managed by an annuity management company. However, the management device 10 may also be managed by the applicant or right holder of the industrial property right, or by the applicant or right holder's agent. In this case, the management device 10 and terminal 30 are connected via a wired or wireless communication network 20.

[0128] The present invention includes the following features.

[0129] (Note 1) A management system for managing the payment of expenses required for industrial property rights procedures, A storage unit that records a case database containing information on the aforementioned industrial property rights, and a cost database containing basic costs included in the expenses required for the aforementioned procedure and variable costs that vary depending on the number of inventions, designs, or classes added to the basic costs, A control unit that calculates the cost of the procedure calculated based on the number of inventions or designs included in the industrial property right, and the cost of the procedure calculated based on a number of inventions, designs or classes that is less than the number of inventions, designs or classes included in the industrial property right, A management device equipped with the following features.

[0130] (Note 2) The control unit is a management device as described in Appendix 1, which calculates the difference between the cost of the procedure calculated based on the number of inventions or designs included in the industrial property right and the cost of the procedure calculated based on a number of inventions, designs or classes that is less than the number of inventions, designs or classes included in the industrial property right.

[0131] (Note 3) The expenses required for the procedures for the aforementioned industrial property rights are the expenses required to maintain the aforementioned industrial property rights, as specified in Appendix 1 or Appendix 2.

[0132] (Note 4) The control unit is a management device according to any one of the appendices 1 to 3, wherein if the cost required for the procedure calculated based on the number of inventions, designs, or classes included in the industrial property right exceeds a predetermined value, the control unit calculates the cost required for the procedure based on a number of inventions, designs, or classes less than the number of inventions, designs, or classes included in the industrial property right.

[0133] (Note 5) A management system for managing the payment of expenses required for industrial property rights procedures, A storage unit including a case database containing information on the aforementioned industrial property rights, and a legal database containing information on the countries in which the license of right is applicable and the costs incurred when the license of right is applicable, If, based on the aforementioned case database and the aforementioned legal database, it is determined that the industrial property right is subject to the License of Right, a control unit calculates the costs in the case where the License of Right does not apply and the costs in the case where the License of Right does apply. A management device equipped with the following features.

[0134] (Note 6) The control unit is a management device as described in Appendix 5, which calculates the difference between the cost when the License of Right does not apply and the cost when the License of Right applies. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0135] 10 Management device 11 Storage section 111 cases 112,2112,3112 Cost Database 113 Customer Database 114, 3114 Legal Database 12 Control Unit 20 Wireless Communication Networks 30 devices 40. Japan Patent Office System 50. Pension Payment Agent System

Claims

1. A management system for managing the payment of expenses required for industrial property rights procedures, The old fare table before the legal amendment and the new fare table after the legal amendment are recorded in the memory unit. A control unit that calculates the difference between the old cost of the industrial property rights before the legal amendment, calculated by referring to the old fee table, and the new cost of the industrial property rights after the legal amendment, calculated by referring to the new fee table, A management device equipped with the following features.

2. The storage unit records the budget amount for a predetermined period. The control unit calculates a total amount by summing the new costs calculated for each of the multiple industrial property rights, and calculates the difference between the budget amount and the total amount, as described in claim 1.

3. The memory unit stores value information representing the value of the industrial property rights. The control unit determines whether to maintain the industrial property right based on the difference and value information of the industrial property right, as described in claim 1.

4. The control unit generates a distribution of the number of industrial property rights for each year of payment of the new expenses when the total amount is greater than the budget amount, as described in claim 2.

5. The control unit, when the total amount is greater than the budgeted amount, creates a distribution of the total payment amounts for each year of payment of the new expenses, as described in claim 2.

6. The control unit notifies the user when the new cost is higher than the old cost, according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The control unit notifies the user when the old cost is higher than the new cost, according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The control unit, Obtain a deadline for payment using the aforementioned fees prior to the legal amendment. A management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which manages the deadline when the new cost is higher than the old cost.

9. The control unit reflects the calculated difference in value information representing the value of the industrial property right, as described in claim 1.

10. The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the costs required for the procedures for the aforementioned industrial property rights include maintenance fees required for the maintenance of the aforementioned industrial property rights.

11. The memory unit records a case database containing information identifying the payment year and payment deadline for the maintenance fee for each of the multiple industrial property rights, and a legal database recording the country of application for the industrial property right and the payment year and payment commencement date for the maintenance fee. The control unit, Obtain a deadline for payment using the old fees prior to the aforementioned legal amendment, Based on the aforementioned old fee table, the aforementioned new fee table, the aforementioned case database, the aforementioned legal database, and the aforementioned payable deadline, the industrial property rights and years that can be paid at the aforementioned old fee, which is lower than the aforementioned new fee, The management device according to claim 10, which refers to the old fee table and the new fee table and calculates the difference between the old fee and the new fee for an annual maintenance pension that can be paid at the old fee for the specified industrial property right.

12. The control unit, Obtain a budget management period, From the aforementioned case database, identify multiple industrial property rights whose payment deadlines fall within the aforementioned budget management period, The management device according to claim 11, which calculates a total amount for each of the aforementioned industrial property rights by adding together the aforementioned old expenses for annual maintenance pensions that can be paid at the aforementioned old expenses prior to the amendment of the law, and the aforementioned new expenses for annual maintenance pensions that cannot be paid at the aforementioned old expenses prior to the amendment of the law.

13. The control unit inquires with multiple customers whether or not they are required to pay the maintenance pension for the jointly owned industrial property rights, receives a response from each of the multiple customers regarding the requirement for payment of the maintenance pension, and notifies all of the customers of each of the responses, as described in any one of claims 10 to 12.

14. A management system for managing the payment of expenses required for industrial property rights procedures, A management device having a storage unit that records the old fare table before the legal amendment and the new fare table after the legal amendment, and a control unit that can access the storage unit, A management method that calculates the difference between the old cost of the industrial property rights before the legal amendment, calculated by referring to the old fee table, and the new cost of the industrial property rights after the legal amendment, calculated by referring to the new fee table.

15. A computer program executable by a management device for managing the payment of fees required for industrial property rights proceedings, By being executed, the management device will A computer program that calculates the difference between the pre-amendment fee for the aforementioned industrial property rights, calculated by referring to the old fee table before the amendment of the law, and the new fee for the aforementioned industrial property rights, calculated by referring to the new fee table after the amendment of the law.

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