Konica Minolta 2008 Annual Report Download - page 38

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35
(2) R&D Alliances and Collaboration
The Group actively promotes R&D alliances. In Business Technologies, we concluded a strategic
office and production printing alliance with Océ N.V. of the Netherlands in April 2008. The two
companies are taking advantage of their respective strengths to help each other develop tech-
nologies and products for the office information equipment and digital printing markets.
We drew on our core functional organic materials synthesis technologies to develop a white-
light-emitting organic electroluminescent device that features the world’s best luminous effi-
ciency and durability. Collaboration with Universal Disk Corporation and a strategic alliance with
the General Electric Company, both of the United States, help us accelerate work to develop and
commercialize organic electroluminescent technologies for lighting applications.
We are participating in several projects for Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
3. Acquiring and Overseeing Intellectual Property, Managing Trade Secrets, and
Maintaining Policies to Prevent Technology Leaks
Intellectual property is a crucial resource that the Group uses to create business assets and apply
its rights to them. We implemented “ Regulations for the Management of Industrial Property
Rights” in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006 to encourage employee inventiveness in line with
Article 35 of the Japanese Patent Law.
The in-house expertise that we have created, as well as other confidential information, consti-
tute important technology assets, and the inappropriate disclosure of such information could
reduce competitive advantages stemming from our technologies and harm the healthy develop-
ment of our businesses. Similarly, confidential information that other companies have disclosed to
us are important technology assets of their own. In addition to damaging its reputation, any leaks
of such information by the Group could result in a variety of legal issues. Consequently, the
Group has created “ Standards for the Management of Confidential Information” and formed
a robust structure to prevent leaks of confidential information.
4. Business Contributions of Licensing Activities
The Group strategically employs its many patents to differentiate our products and gain competi-
tive advantages in businesses in which we enjoy technological leads.
We pursue cross-licensing strategies in domains where technologies are increasingly
advanced and complex to sustain businesses and maintain R&D freedom. We license from
other companies when we conclude that such agreements ensure business freedom and shorten
development cycles.