Pentax 2008 Annual Report Download - page 31

Vision Care Division
329
New-Business Related
59 Electro-Optics Division
583
Health Care Division
60
Photonics Division
36
Other
1
Pentax
2,492
Total
3,560
Registered Patents and Utility Models (As of March 31, 2008)
900
600
300
0
45
30
15
0
(%)(Applications)
2007
930
2003
260
2004
280
2005
335
2006
(Years ended March 31)
300
Global Applications (By year of application)
600
330
44 46
32 33
33
Applications filed by previous Hoya Corporation Pentax applications filed Percent of total
are indeed being imitated, warnings are issued and, where
necessary, appropriate steps such as filing for injunction are taken.
Hoya also respects patents held by others, affording them
appropriate value and avoiding infringement, as part of its efforts
to streamline its patent management.
Hoya does not rely excessively on its own proprietary
technologies and patents. If, after careful technical search and
consideration of the available technologies, the Company finds
that third parties have superior technologies, patents or other
advantages, and if it decides that using them would be most
efficient in commercializing a product, Hoya takes steps to seek
licenses to use third-party patents or introduce their technologies.
The Hoya Group is organized according to business divisions and
companies, with extensive delegation of authority, from strategic
business planning to decision-making. Each division has an
intellectual property groups responsible for working in conformity
with the respective strategies of their divisions—for instance, by
filing patent applications and other rights-related management
activities, taking actions in relation to patents held by others and
licensing out Hoya’s own patents.
Hoya’s global headquarters are under the management of the
chief intellectual property officer and are responsible for working
to improve the intellectual property functions of the Group. This
includes such matters as establishing and promoting overall
intellectual property strategy, assisting business divisions in the
establishment of patent strategies, the training and skill
enhancement of employees, managing intellectual property
assets, and the development of patent management systems.
In particular, matters that necessitate decision-making for the
Group—for example those matters requiring coordination of
intellectual property issues that run across more than one
business division, or those involving the bringing of a case to
court or reaching an amicable settlement—are deemed to require
the approval of Hoya headquarters and are strictly managed
under the direction of the CEO.
Because intellectual property activities are dispersed across all
business divisions, there is a need to reduce any adverse effect
from potential difficulties in information sharing. At the same time,
to improve synergies between business divisions, the Company
periodically holds joint intellectual property meetings for the
exchange and sharing of information on each division’s
intellectual property activities.
Hoya held 3,560 registered patents and utility models (2,492 of
which are through Pentax) in Japan as of March 31, 2008. The
Electro-Optics and Vision Care divisions accounted for 26% of the
total, while Pentax accounted for 70%.
For Hoya, approximately 33% of all patent applications during
the fiscal year under review were lodged in countries outside Japan.
The percentage of patents granted groupwide in Japan in the
fiscal period ended March 31, 2007 (including those in the prior
examination and review stages) was approximately 60% (57% for
previous Hoya applications and 63% for Pentax applications).
Percentage of patents granted
Status of Intellectual Property
Utilization of third-party patents and
technologies Number of registered patents and all
patent applications lodged in countries
other than Japan
Systems Supporting Intellectual Property
Activities
29HOYA ANNUAL REPORT 2008