Privacy Policy
Sonoda & Kobayashi Intellectual Property Law and Sonoda & Kobayashi IP Services, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the “Group”) state our Personal Information Protection Policy as follows and promote personal information protection by establishing a personal information protection system that ensures that all employees are aware of the importance of personal information protection.
Appropriate Collection, Use, and Provision of Personal Information
The Group will collect personal information by appropriate means to the extent necessary to perform our duties in consideration of the details and scope of our business. The Group will use personal information within the scope of its specified purposes of use. If any change is made to the purposes of use, the Group will notify you in advance and obtain your consent before using your personal information. The Group will not provide your personal information to any third party without your consent except for exemptions as required by law.
Security Measures for Personal Information Protection
For the purpose of keeping personal information accurate and updated and preventing any unauthorized access to, or any loss, destruction, falsification, leakage, or the like of personal information, the Group will strictly manage personal information by implementing security measures and taking necessary measures including maintaining the security system, developing the management system, and thoroughly educating employees.
Compliance with Laws and Regulations, and Review
The Group will comply with all applicable laws and other regulations regarding personal information handled by our business.
Inquiries
Please direct inquiries about the Group’s Personal Information Protection Policy to the following:
Sonoda & Kobayashi Intellectual Property Law
Shinjuku Mitsui Building 34th floor, 2-1-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 163-0434
TEL: 03-5339-1093 FAX: 03-5339-1094
Handling of Personal Information
1. Information on Sonoda & Kobayashi Intellectual Property Law and affiliated companies
Sonoda & Kobayashi Intellectual Property Law
Shinjuku Mitsui Building 34th floor, 2-1-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 163-0434
Representative Yoshitaka Sonoda
Sonoda & Kobayashi IP Services, Inc.
Shinjuku Mitsui Building 34th floor, 2-1-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 163-0434
Representative Yoshitaka Sonoda
2. Types of personal information to be collected and purposes of use
The table below shows the purposes of use of personal information handled by the Group. For the personal information marked with an asterisk (*), you may request that the Group notify you of the purposes of use of such personal data retained by the Group, the disclosure thereof, the correction, addition, or deletion of the content thereof, the suspension of use thereof, the erasure thereof, the suspension of the provision thereof to third parties, or the disclosure of the records of the provision thereof to third parties.
| Type of Personal Information | Purpose of Use |
| Information on clients’ persons in charge* | Client management, communications for business purposes, responding to inquiries, providing information regarding the Group’s projects such as services and seminars |
| Personal information of inventors, etc. contained in application documents, etc. received from clients | Applications, investigations, lawsuits, etc. related to the protection of clients’ intellectual property rights |
| Information collected in the course of sales and marketing activities (information regarding participants in seminars, inquiries about services, etc.)* | Sales and marketing management, providing information regarding the Group’s projects such as services and seminars, responding to inquiries |
| Information on partners’ persons in charge* | Communications for business purposes |
| Information on employees* | Communications for business purposes, human resources and labor management |
| Information on job applicants* | Employment screening, communications about employment |
3. Cookies, etc. to be collected
For the purpose of analyzing access to the Group’s website, the Group uses “Google Analytics,” an access analysis tool provided by Google, and thereby collects access analysis data based on cookies. The data cannot identify any specific individual. Regarding the system of data collection and processing by Google Analytics, see https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.
- Matters related to joint use
The Group jointly uses personal information as follows:
- Items of personal information subject to joint use and purposes of use
Personal information specified in “2. Types of personal information to be collected and purposes of use” - Scope of joint users
Corporations specified in “1. Information on Sonoda & Kobayashi Intellectual Property Law and affiliated companies” - Joint use administrator
Sonoda & Kobayashi Intellectual Property Law
Shinjuku Mitsui Building 34th floor, 2-1-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 163-0434
Representative Yoshitaka Sonoda
5. Contact for handling complaints/consultations and other requests such as disclosure
The Group receives requests for notification of the purposes of use of retained personal data, the disclosure thereof, the correction, addition, or deletion of the content thereof, the suspension of use thereof, the erasure thereof, the suspension of the provision thereof to third parties, and the disclosure of the records of the provision thereof to third parties, and complaints or requests for consultation regarding personal information at: Human Resources and General Affairs Department, Sonoda & Kobayashi Intellectual Property Law (representative TEL: 03-5339-1093, from 10:00 to 17:00 on weekdays). Please understand that the Group will be unable to meet your request if the requested disclosure or the like of the retained personal data or other information is not permitted under laws and regulations and the like or if the period of retention of the relevant personal data or other information has already expired.
6. Security management measures for retained personal data
- Establishment of basic policy
For the purpose of managing personal data properly in accordance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information, the Group has established this Personal Information Protection Policy.
- Development of personal data handling rules
The Group has established internal regulations on the method of handling personal data, the persons responsible for such and their duties, and other matters in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Policy.
- Organizational security management measures
We clearly specify which employees handle personal data and the scope of the personal data to be handled. We have also established a system for reporting and communicating any fact or sign of a breach of laws or handling regulations.
Additionally, we confirm the actual status of compliance with the rules as appropriate and, if any breach is found, take corrective measures.
- Personnel security management measures
We endeavor to ensure that employees and other personnel are fully informed of the internal rules and other regulations.
We also impose confidentiality obligations on employees and other personnel in accordance with the Rules of Employment and require such personnel to submit a pledge to maintain the confidentiality of information including personal data.
- Physical security management measures
We have access control in place at our office and take measures to prevent any unauthorized persons from gaining access.
When transferring personal data, we take measures to prevent theft, loss, and the like.
- Technical security management measures
We control who can access personal information databases and the like and have introduced a system for protecting information systems from unauthorized access by external parties, malware, and the like.
- Awareness of external environment
We are aware of the foreign legal systems that are relevant to the protection of the personal information we handle and take necessary and appropriate security management measures.
Handling of Personal Information of Individuals Residing in the EEA
7. Legal grounds for handling of personal information
In accordance with the requirements set forth in the “EU General Data Protection Regulation” (GDPR), the Group will handle personal information and other information specified in “2. Types of personal information to be collected and purposes of use” and “3. Cookies, etc. to be collected” based on the legal grounds specified in the table below:
| Type of Personal and Other Information | Legal Grounds Under GDPR |
| Information on clients’ persons in charge | Where such handling is necessary for the performance or execution of a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR) or for the legitimate interests of the Group (Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR) |
| Personal information of inventors, etc. contained in application documents, etc. received from clients | Where such handling is necessary for the performance or execution of a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR) |
| Information collected in the course of sales and marketing activities (information regarding participants in seminars, inquiries about services, etc.) | Where such handling is necessary for the performance or execution of a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR) or for the legitimate interests of the Group (Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR) |
| Information on partners’ persons in charge | Where such handling is necessary for the performance or execution of a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR) |
| Information on employees | Where such handling is performed with consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR), where such handling is necessary for the performance or execution of a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR), or where such handling is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c) of the GDPR) |
| Information on job applicants | Where such handling is performed with consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR) or where such handling is necessary for the performance or execution of a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR) |
| Cookies used for website access analysis | Where such handling is performed with consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR) |
8. Types of recipients and outsourcees
Based on the content of requests for applications, investigations, lawsuits, and other matters related to the protection of client intellectual property rights, the Group may outsource the handling of information on inventors and other persons concerned with the relevant requests to domestic and foreign patent firms, law firms, and other firms that have a business partnership with the Group.
9. Legal grounds for transfer to regions outside the EEA and measures to be taken
The Group may transfer personal information and other information specified in “2. Types of personal information to be collected and purposes of use” and “3. Cookies, etc. to be collected” from the EEA to Japan based on the adequacy decision between Japan and the EU. For such transfers, the Group will comply with legal requirements including the adequacy decision between Japan and the EU and the applicable laws of Japan.
10. Right to file objection with supervisory authority
If you reside in the EEA, you have the right to file an objection with the supervisory authority having jurisdiction over your place of residence with regard to the processing of your relevant personal information.
For details, see the following website of the European Data Protection Board:
https://edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/board/members_en
