Intellectual Property

Basic policy regarding intellectual property rights

The Sodick Group places importance on acquiring and protecting development rights to technologically differentiate our products and services. We have formulated the following basic policy on intellectual property rights.

The Company recognizes that intellectual property is an important management asset and will strive to protect and utilize intellectual property.
The Company will comply with laws, regulations, and internal Company guidelines related to intellectual property and will respect other companies’ intellectual property.
On the basis of analysis of patent information, the Company will formulate appropriate intellectual property strategies to secure sustainable growth and enhance corporate value.

Intellectual property management structure

The Intellectual Property Department of Sodick is under the direct control of the President and has responsibility for all operations related to the intellectual property in the Sodick Group. The Intellectual Property Department manages, unitarily and transversely, all the intellectual property of business divisions, and can facilitate making the intellectual property strategy while considering the synergies of the Sodick Group as a whole.
Intellectual Property Department staff are stationed at the Head Office/Research and Technology Center (Yokohama, Japan) and the Kaga Factory (Japan) to ensure smooth coordination with engineers and management.

Intellectual Property Landscape

We recognize Intellectual Property Landscape (IPL) as one of Sodick’s most important intellectual property administrative operations. IPL is a methodology for formulating business strategies and corporate decision-making and effectively utilizing the outcome through the comprehensive analysis of patent/non-patent information, the current situation, and future predictions. To strengthen the IPL operations, we encourage all members of the Intellectual Property Department to obtain the specialist certification of “Intellectual Property Analyst (Patent), certified by the Association of Intellectual Property Education.”

Proactive approach to intellectual property

In 2022, the Intellectual Property Department launched the IPL to “take a proactive approach to intellectual property.” We aim to firmly tie investment in intangible assets to the future enhancement of corporate value and shorten this cycle. To instill a spirit of “active intellectual property” in Sodick, we provided the R&D department and planning department in each division with demonstrations on the IPL.
For example, at the food machinery segment, we have included intellectual property strategy meetings as one of our strategy planning meetings. With the mission of “creating a safe, secure, healthy, and delicious food culture,” the Food Machinery Division is establishing a business foundation as a “comprehensive, global manufacturer of food machinery” in this growing market, as well as achieving greater sustainability. We are supporting the Food Machinery Division’s activities by conducting big data analysis of patent/non-patent information from the perspective of intellectual property, with a focus on the CIP^* and sterilization technologies that have competitive advantages. We are also compiling market analysis reports regarding growth potential in the food machinery market, our strengths and weaknesses, and technological developments at potential competitors.

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Specific initiatives

Corporate brand protection

The Sodick brand is a management asset that has been built up since the Group’s founding and the underlying source of profit. By combining patent rights, design rights, trademark rights, and other intellectual property rights, we are protecting the Company’s brand. This approach is leading to further corporate brand enhancement.
At the same time, we have recently confirmed that products that appear to be counterfeit versions of Sodick products are being sold, primarily via e-commerce websites. We are striving to protect the Sodick brand by taking appropriate and reasonable action against companies illegally selling counterfeit products.
We encourage customers to purchase our products from our sales offices or authorized dealers to ensure that they do not purchase counterfeit products.
Human resource development

We conduct regular intellectual property training, primarily for engineers involved in R&D. We encourage them to deepen their knowledge of intellectual property to understand the importance of property rights and make the best use of them. We hope this training helps create an organizational culture where all employees respect other companies’ intellectual property.
Incentive system

We are increasing employees’ motivation in R&D by honoring the achievements of inventors and encouraging inventions. We are offering bonuses to those who take action to ensure that service inventions the Company has acquired remain in force when patents are applied for and are registered.
We have also established provisions to offer extra bonuses for inventions that make a particular contribution to the Company’s profits.

Targets and progress related to intellectual property

We have basically achieved the targets set in 2019 for the number of patents held and the ratio of overseas patents. Therefore, from 2023, we have been focusing on the IPL’s contribution to business strategies and addressing counterfeit products. One of our trademarks was infringed in China in 2008, and we have continuously been working to address counterfeit items, including through legal action. The number of trademarks held has increased from 133 (including 17 in China) at the end of 2008 to 452 (including 96 in China) at the end of 2023. In 2022, we joined the Japan Trademark Association and participated in the revisions to Nice Classification, the International Classification of Goods and Services, in order to facilitate trademark registration. We will continue to acquire trademark rights and design rights, pursue litigation, patrol e-commerce websites and request removal of counterfeit items, seek the cancellation of usurped trademark applications, and take other actions going forward.

Governance