Sustainability
Basic policy
Our intellectual property activities are based on the vision of SPECIALITY CHEMICAL PARTNER, which chemistrify the bond, while always emphasizing linkage with the policy and strategy of research and development activities ,builds a patent network, and protects new products.
Intellectual property activity promotion system
The Intellectual Property and Information Group belongs to the Development Promotion Department of the Research and Development Headquarters, which oversees research and development, and is responsible for the creation, protection, management, and utilization of intellectual property. We operate under a system that allows us to constantly monitor the status of R&D and business, conduct timely investigations, and quickly discover inventions. Although our focus is on patent work, we also handle general intellectual property work such as trademarks and technology contracts in collaboration with the head office's legal department. In addition, we work in conjunction with the strategies of each business of our group, and report and discuss intellectual property activities with management at least once a year to strengthen intellectual property governance.
Building a patent portfolio linked to development and business
Our business has shifted its focus from the traditional fields of paper manufacturing chemicals, adhesives, inks and paints to rapidly changing fields such as electronic materials. As a result, products have shorter life cycles, and research and development sites are required to more accurately identify customer requests and respond quickly. In addition, as our business expands overseas, the importance of obtaining patents in foreign countries is increasing, and the number of applications filed in multiple countries is increasing. In line with these changes, in our patent work, we are focusing on closely following the progress of development themes, catching inventions as early as possible, and swiftly filing applications that cover new products. On the other hand, we maintain necessary applications and patents, dispose of unnecessary ones as early as possible, aim to build a patent portfolio taking into account subsequent development and business progress, and cost-effectiveness.
Patent risk management
Our company respects the intellectual property of other companies and is working on countermeasures against other companies' patents in order to avoid disputes. We regularly provide patent information to each department (SDI distribution), and have established a routine for checks and countermeasure meetings by related departments, creating a system for early detection and early countermeasures. We also conduct patent clearance investigations at each milestone, such as development theme planning, commercialization, and product formulation changes, to confirm that there are no problems. Furthermore, we are focusing on efforts to reduce the risk of patent infringement from a variety of perspectives, including not only our own products but also taking measures against patents of other companies while assessing the business field in which we are expanding.
Utilization and promotion of intellectual property information
Research necessary for research and development, such as preliminary searches and patent clearance searches required when filing a patent application, is carried out by researchers with specialized skills to ensure reliability. Additionally, researchers are working to acquire research skills through on-the-job training so that they can carry out daily research themselves. Additionally, research on technology and market trends is essential when searching for development themes. Investigators are actively involved in internal exploration activities and support overall R&D activities through macro analysis and creation of patent maps.
In-house educational activities～Improving intellectual property mindset/skills～
The acquisition of intellectual property mindset and intellectual property literacy by researchers is the foundation for successful intellectual property work, and training for researchers is extremely important. We hold rank-based training every year as an opportunity to acquire basic knowledge, including the Unfair Competition Prevention Act and the management of confidential information, but we also take advantage of our close proximity to the development site to handle individual cases such as filing applications and dealing with other companies' patents. We place the utmost importance on OJT education. We also strive to improve practical intellectual property skills, such as know-how that is difficult to teach through lectures and matters that cannot be generalized.
Intellectual property activities
Our basic policy is to promote the discovery of inventions based on development themes, and we aim to create intellectual property that can contribute to current and future businesses.