Mazda 2015 Annual Report Download - page 33

overseas Mazda Group companies, and it was
renamed the Mazda Global Hotline as a contact
point for receiving information.
To ensure that all employees are aware of this
hotline, Mazda has distributed the Compliance
Card with the contact information to all employees
at Mazda Motor Corporation and ensures aware-
ness of this hotline at every opportunity through
compliance education. Mazda has also introduced
the hotline to Mazda Group companies in Japan
and overseas via each company’s Intranet.
This hotline is also introduced to suppliers so
that they can report the questions arose from
any transactions.
The Mazda Corporate Ethics Code of Conduct
states that “Persons who report incidences of viola-
tion of the law and persons who cooperate in inves-
tigations of alleged violations shall not be subjected
to retribution or disadvantageous treatment.”
In addition, Mazda has set up several contact
points to provide various consultations for employ-
ees. These contact points aid in the early detection
and appropriate handling of important compliance-
related information. The critical cases are reported
to management.
Compliance
At Mazda, the concept of compliance not only
applies to laws and regulations but also includes
adherence to other rules such as internal guide-
lines and societal norms and expectations.
Business operations are conducted in accor-
dance with the Mazda Corporate Ethics Code of
Conduct to ensure fair and honest practice. This
also applies overseas; Mazda not only complies
with international regulations and the laws of
each country and region, but also respects local
history, culture, and customs. The Mazda
Corporate Ethics Code of Conduct is revised as
needed to cope with changes in the social envi-
ronment, social needs, etc.
The Global Employee Engagement Survey,
which includes a questionnaire concerning com-
pliance, is conducted to check the employees’
degree of understanding of compliance.
Mazda Global Hotline
In 1999, Mazda established the Ethics Advisory
Office to handle employee inquiries about com-
pliance and conduct investigations on ethical
matters. In September 2007, the scope of the
office was expanded to include domestic and
Business Management System
Protection of Intellectual Property and
Intellectual Property Risk Management
Mazda’s dedicated Intellectual Property Department
leads Company activities regarding intellectual
properties so as not to infringe upon the intellec-
tual property rights of other companies, and con-
ducts strategic activities aimed at fiercely
protecting, accumulating, and making optimal use
of the intellectual properties generated through
these in-house activities.
1. Exhaustively uncovers and globally obtains
rights concerning intellectual properties cre-
ated by its business activities, including new
technologies, markings, model names and
vehicle designs, and protects Mazda tech-
nologies and the Mazda brand.
2. Takes steps to exhaustively investigate as well
as prevent and solve any problems regarding
intellectual properties that may obstruct busi-
ness activities in each domain, such as infringe-
ment of other parties’ patent rights; trademark
rights, design rights, and copyrights; and viola-
tions of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act.
To avoid patent litigation driven by patent
trolls,*1 which has been increasing mainly in the
United States, Mazda joined the License on Transfer
Network*2 in March 2015.
*1. A patent troll is an organization or group that is not engaged in
technology development itself but acquires patents for technolo-
gies developed by others, for the purpose of demanding unreason-
ably high patent royalties or settlement money from third parties
that use the relevant technologies.
*2. A patent association established in July 2014 by Canon Inc., Google
Inc., and some other companies. If a member company sells a patent
it owns to an external organization, group, or individual, the license
for the patent will be automatically granted to other member com-
panies. (If a patent troll obtains a patent of a member company,
Mazda cannot be charged a patent royalty by the patent troll.)
Protection of Personal Information
Mazda rigorously protects personal informa-
tion in line with its own Personal Information
Protection Policy. Handling rules are set out in
order to ensure appropriate management of
personal information, regular examination of
management records for retained personal data
is taken, and management statuses are checked
once a year. In cases in which the handling of
personal information is entrusted to outside
parties, such contractors are carefully selected
based on a checklist which determined the nec-
essary items including security management.
The Mazda Call Center responds to customers
who wish to inquire about the Company’s han-
dling of personal information and those who
request disclosure regarding privacy issues.
Basic Policy on Intellectual Property
Mazda’s overall vision for intellectual property is
to use intellectual property as a management
resource in support of its business management
and enterprise activities, based on respect for its
own and others’ intellectual property. Based on
this vision, Mazda has established an Intellectual
Property Committee, to discuss and decide key
items regarding intellectual property. The com-
mittee is comprised of division general managers
from related divisions and chaired by an execu-
tive officer responsible for intellectual property
issues. For its Group companies in Japan and
overseas, Mazda supports them in developing/
implementing policies and establishing systems
for handling intellectual property, with the aim of
enhancing the intellectual property management
functions of the entire Mazda Group. Also, the
invention incentive system is increasing motiva-
tion for inventions among employees working at
the forefront of research and development.
Compliance Promotion System
Risk Compliance
Committee
Office of General &
Legal Affairs
Mazda Global
Hotline
Representative Director and President
Departments within Mazda
(Executive Officers / Division General Managers /
Department General Managers =
Persons in charge of compliance)
Mazda Group
Companies
<Review board>
Liaison
Reporting
Deliberation of
handling
Recommen-
dation / advice
Mazda Global Hotline
Reporting
Reporting
In principle, real
name is used
Real name /
pseudonym
Reporting
Response
(where
notification is
possible)
Response
(where
notification is
possible)
Instruction
Whistleblower
Mazda Global Hotline
In-house contact point
Sector targeted for
investigation
Auditor
Office of General &
Legal Affairs
Mazda Global Hotline
Outside contact point
(attorney’s office)
Representative Director
and President
Other senior management
Reporting
Mazda Annual Report 2015
31
Foundations Underpinning
Sustainable Growth
CONTENTS
Growth Strategy
Message from Management
Corporate Data
Introduction
Review of Operations