Konica Minolta 2014 Annual Report Download - page 40

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 40 of the 2014 Konica Minolta annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 81

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81

39
KONICA MINOLTA, INC. Annual Report 2014
Management Bases
Intellectual Property
Intellectual Property
Konica Minolta conducts its business activities with an awareness that intellectual property management forms one of the Company’s three key
overarching strategies, together with its business strategy and technology strategy.
Konica Minolta published 2,924 Japanese patent applications in fiscal
2013. Patents in the Business Technologies Business comprised 49%
of the total, and the proportion accounted for by the Industrial
Business grew to 27%, reflecting steady applications related mainly to
OLED lighting.
By region, in fiscal 2013, Konica Minolta registered 2,108 patents in
Japan, roughly 150% the number registered in fiscal 2009. During the
same period, patents filed in the United States also rose to about
150% the 2009 level, reaching 680 and ranking 19th highest among
Japanese companies. Patents registered in China increased to roughly
120% the 2009 number, totaling 145. The total number of patents
that Konica Minolta holds in China has risen to about 250% the 2009
level, at to 687, a result of the Group’s efforts to secure intellectual
property rights in the country.
The operating environments of many of the Group’s businesses are
rapidly changing. To select suitable countries for filing patent applica-
tions in such areas, the Group makes use of Patent Cooperation Treaty
(PCT) applications. These applications are of assistance in evaluating
patentability and staying abreast of relevant trends in technology in
the time leading up to filing applications in specific countries. Of the
Group’s published Japanese patent applications in fiscal 2013, 17%
were PCT applications, compared with 15% in fiscal 2009.
Basic Approach
Contribution of Intellectual Properties to Business Activites
Growth in number of patent applications
(FY2009=1)
Ratio of PCT applications published
to japanese patents published
1
1.5
2
2.5
FY2009
Japan
FY2011 FY2013
U.S. China
17.5
16.5
15.5
14.5
FY2009 FY2011 FY2013
(%)