Yamaha 2008 Annual Report Download - page 44

42 Yamaha Corporation
Intellectual Property
Patents
The graphs below illustrate the number of Yamaha patent applica-
tions published in Japan and the number of patents owned at the
end of March 2008 by Yamaha geographical and business seg-
ments. The musical instruments segment accounts for over 40% of
Yamaha’s published patent applications in Japan and for more than
60% of all the patents owned by the Company. Recently, growth in
the number of patent applications filed by the Company in China
has contributed to the number of Yamaha-owned patents.
Patent Strategy
Patent Acquisition
Yamaha makes every effort to ensure that its patent strategies
are coherent with its business development plans. In this
respect, Yamaha has formulated patent strategies which contrib-
ute to the major themes central to its “YGP2010” medium-term
management plan, namely, “achieve growth in ‘The Sound Com-
pany’ business domain” and “further strengthen profit-making
capability as the foundation for growth.” To meet the objective of
its first policy, Yamaha is heightening efforts to foster innovation
and to promote patent acquisition with respect to the innovation.
Yamaha seeks to meet the objective of the second policy by
continually obtaining patents in Japan and abroad that help to
protect its existing businesses.
Yamaha has also identified priority themes for patent acquisition
in each business segment with the intention of establishing a strong
patent portfolio. These target themes are summarized below.
Yamaha promotes patent filings and rights acquisition in its
others segment as well. The aim is to achieve filings and acquisi-
tions commensurate in number with the scale of each business.
Companywide R&D focuses on patent filings in areas related
to audio signal processing technology as a major theme. By
instilling a patent-oriented viewpoint in management for each
stage of development, Yamaha promotes an aggressive
approach to patent filings in accordance with the R&D progress
for all key R&D themes, without exception.
Patent Use
Patents are regarded by all Yamaha business segments as funda-
mental to commercial differentiation and to securing and maintain-
ing an advantageous business position. Yamaha’s AV/IT and
electronic equipment/metal products segments make use of cross-
licensing arrangements to augment their operational freedom. In its
AV/IT segment, for example, Yamaha is engaged in patent licensing
to third parties for optical disk recording technology.
Yamaha also aims to maintain its intellectual property assets
in the most appropriate manner. An annual review of all Company-
owned patent rights in Japan and elsewhere is conducted to
determine current and future uses of respective patents. Patents
to be maintained are then selected and a maintenance fee paid,
thereby ensuring the appropriateness of intellectual property
assets owned by the Company.
Patent Management Systems and Methods
A corporate Legal & Intellectual Property Division oversees
Yamaha’s patent strategy and the integrated management of all
patents held by the Yamaha Group. Specific personnel at each
business and R&D division are assigned to intellectual property
roles to ensure the Company’s patent strategy is coherent with
business and R&D strategies. Yamaha also holds regular meet-
ings between each business and R&D division and the Legal &
Intellectual Property Division, with the objective of promoting an
integrated patent strategy at the Group level.
“Respect for intellectual property” and “the securing of confi-
dentiality” are also key concepts in Yamaha’s Compliance Code
of Conduct, which forms part of the code of conduct for Yamaha
Group personnel and member firms.
Internal Incentives for Inventions and Patents
Yamaha revised internal regulations on patent rewards in 2005.
The Company remunerates inventors at the various stages of
patent acquisition and use, including filing, registration, internal
use and any outward licensing. The payments are to reward
inventors and to provide an incentive for invention. In the course
of amending corporate regulations on patent rewards, Yamaha
has incorporated steps required by the Patent Law, and carried
out an increase in reward payments.
04/3 05/3 06/3 07/3 08/3
0
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
U.S.Japan Other
Areas
0
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
Yamaha Patent Applications Published in Japan
(Number of patents)
Patents Owned by Yamaha (as of March 31, 2008)
(Number of patents)
Others Others
Lifestyle-Related
Products
Lifestyle-Related
Products
Electronic Equipment
and Metal Products
Electronic Equipment
and Metal Products
AV/IT AV/IT
Musical Instruments Musical Instruments
■ Musical instruments
Network-related technologies, new-concept musical instruments,
commercial audio equipment-related technologies
■ AV/IT
Sound field control technologies, network-related technologies
■ Electronic equipment and metal products
Sound-related devices
■ Lifestyle-related products
Kitchen and bathroom-related technologies