Japan Examination 50% or exempted for 50% if company is 50% (universities and Not stated In 2012, for natural request fees and examination request fee capitalized at under JPY graduate schools, persons and maintenance fees and annual fee to end of 300 million, is exempt independent corporations, 1493 to 10th year for 3rd year from business tax or administrative applications had national patent established for less than institutions and public patent fees reduced 50% for annual fee for applications 10 years, and is not research organizations) or exempted, 1933 4th to 10th year controlled by another had examination legal person over a request fees reduced certain proportion. or exempted. For R&D SMES, these R&D SMEs qualify for fee reductions were this reduction where applied to 8563 and ratio of research and 3253 applications, experimental expenses respectively; for is more than 3% of universities, these annual income and they reductions were meet sector-specific applied to 1857 and criteria in employee 3055 applications, numbers and capital respectively. size. Latvia Patent fees 40% if applicant is Not stated Not provided inventor 80% if applicant is inventor and student or pensioner
Japan Examination request fees and maintenance fees to 10th year for national patent applications 50% or exempted for examination request fee and annual fee to end of 3rd year 50% for annual fee for 4th to 10th year 50% if company is capitalized at under JPY 300 million, is exempt from business tax or established for less than 10 years, and is not controlled by another legal person over a certain proportion. R&D SMEs qualify for this reduction where ratio of research and experimental expenses is more than 3% of annual income and they meet sector-specific criteria in employee numbers and capital size. 50% (universities and graduate schools, independent administrative institutions and public research organizations) Not stated In 2012, for natural persons and corporations, 1493 applications had patent fees reduced or exempted, 1933 had examination request fees reduced or exempted. For R&D SMES, these fee reductions were applied to 8563 and 3253 applications, respectively; for universities, these reductions were applied to 1857 and 3055 applications, respectively. Latvia Patent fees 40% if applicant is inventor 80% if applicant is inventor and student or pensioner Not stated Not provided