Intellectual Property
Vision and Policy
Mission Maximize intellectual property value through the cycle of basic IP operations, IP utilization, and innovation activities.
Vision A company that excites with intellectual property.
Ensure Maxell's superiority and support the realization of technologies that create a sustainable society,
through a cycle of IP Basic Duties, IP Utilization and Innovation Activities
With a focus on Maxell's unique Analog Core Technologies , we are promoting business activities that integrate our technological and IP strategies. In addition, we are striving to secure Maxell's superiority and contribute to a sustainable society through the basic duties of creating, developing, and managing rights for the purpose of adequately protecting Maxell's IP including the "Maxell" brand; the proactive utilization of IP; and the pursuit of innovation in unique technologies.
At the same time, in the interests of building a fair business environment, we firmly maintain a stance of respecting other companies' IP, including by carefully checking other companies' patents from the early stages of research and development.
In order to leverage IP for the sustainable growth of Maxell's Value Creation, the IP investment and utilization strategy is reported to the Board of Directors and is advanced on the basis of governance.
- IP Strategies to Support Business
In order to maximize the contribution of IP to our businesses with our business environment, business strategy and IP information analysis as the base, we will steadily build an IP portfolio that will come to life in five to 10 years' time. We will achieve this through IP grand design activities, whereby we plan IP activities by "backcasting" - casting an eye back from the future use of IP envisioned at each business, to the present - and through strategic invention activities that prioritize fostering IP rights with a focus on important technologies.
Management, Structure and System
Organizational Structure
Intellectual property is overseen by the IP Innovation Division, which consists of four departments: the IP Strategy Department, which is responsible for formulating and managing intellectual property strategies; the Cross-link Department, which connects internal and external stakeholders through group-wide activities such as rights utilization and strategy promotion; the Intellectual Property Department, which promotes intellectual property creation; and the Innovation Department, which focuses on innovation activities and the use of intellectual property. As part of our division's cross-functional activities, we are creating opportunities to reassess the potential value of owned rights, stimulate inventions among intellectual property department members, share expertise, and work on leveling up our skills.
Cross-divisional Collaboration
Our IP division provides information accumulated through IP activities such as invention/design creation and application trend surveys, while the research and development/business divisions provide technical and industry information accumulated through their activities. This system fosters a collaborative framework that transcends departmental boundaries to realize technologies that support a sustainable society.
Incentive / Award System
As a mechanism to promote intellectual property creation, an award system for outstanding intellectual property contributing to business and an incentive system for appropriately rewarding contributions to inventions have been established. The incentive system traces its origins to the introduction of the employee invention system with the legal amendment in 2005.
Subsequent changes include the shift to employer attribution following the patent law revision in April 2016. In 2020, further revisions were made to enhance the innovative capabilities of inventors/creators, ensuring timely recognition and reward for contributions to the business. These adjustments have been made in response to legal and environmental changes.
Education System (Basic Education/Hierarchical Education)
As an internal initiative, we consolidate the educational expertise held by each member of the IP Innovation Division.
We conduct activities to establish a hierarchical education system with the aim of improving the quality of educational content for various target groups such as new employees and designers.
Additionally, we utilize the outcomes of these efforts as e-learning materials for internal education, creating a mechanism for widespread educational dissemination. To foster the development of intellectual property professionals for the next generation, we also implement on-the-job training (OJT) for young employees. In recent years, we have invited outside lecturers to provide training on the intellectual property system for engineers, thereby enhancing our education system for intellectual property.
Activities
Company-wide Innovation Activities from an IP Perspective
Through collaborations with the IP Innovation Division, the New Business Producing Division and the Sales & Marketing Division, as well as the Group companies, we will comprehensively explore the intellectual and human assets related to the technologies owned by Maxell Group, and drive innovation activities with the premise of creating new businesses across business segments by leveraging these assets. In fiscal 2024, we will strengthen and promote integrated cross-divisional activities through the newly established Cross-link Department.
Contributing to SDGs through Invention Creation Activities
To promote innovation that contributes to the SDGs, we encourage the creation of intellectual property with an awareness of its connection to the SDGs from the invention discovery stage. As part of this, we include the SDGs development goals that the invention contributes to in the specification.
Contributing to Fair Business Activities that Respect Other Companies
We build cooperative frameworks with external organizations, collect information, and strive to protect intellectual property rights. We continue to respect other companies' intellectual property by setting appropriate goals at various phases from research and development to pre-sale of new products and conducting clearance activities.
IP Utilization Policy
We will contribute to the protection and development of the Company's businesses with IP. Additionally, we will obtain licensing fees by licensing Maxell's IP to other companies, which will directly contribute to the Company's profit and lead to the emergence of new innovation and the continuous creation of new IP. We are proactively advancing licensing activities in the area of batteries, which is Maxell's founding business, and the area of video and communications, in which we possess highvalue patents. In cases where the Company's IP is not being appropriately respected, we are prepared to take action when compelled to, such as lawsuits.
Counterfeit Measures
To reduce the risk of brand damage due to unauthorized use by third parties, we take firm measures against the manufacture and sale of counterfeit products and unauthorized applications and registrations of similar trademarks by monitoring e-commerce sites and registering with customs in major countries.
Achievements
Status of Intellectual Property Rights
【External Awards】
Maxell's proactive IP activities and created intellectual property have received various external awards.
- Asia IP Elite
Maxell, Ltd. has been continuously selected since 2018 for the "Asia IP Elite" by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM), an internationally authoritative intellectual property media organization, as one of the companies that position IP at the core of their business strategy.
IAM Webpage The IAM Asia Elite of 2024 - IAM (iam-media.com)
| Award Year Award Name | Awarded Item | Patent/Design Registration Number | |
| 2020 | Kinki Region Invention Award, Invention Encouragement Award | Wireless Earphones | Design Registration No. 1633721 |
| Good Design Long Life Design Award |
Electric Shaver | ー | |
| Good Design Award | Portable Power Supply | Design Registration No. 1656262 | |
| 2019 | Good Design Award | True Wireless Stereo Earphones | Design Registration No. 1633721, Design Registration No. 1638255 |
| Hair Dryer | Design Registration No. 1636840 | ||
| 2017 | Good Design Award | EMS Device | Design Registration No. 1599398 |
| 2016 | Kinki Region Invention Award, Invention Encouragement Award | High-Capacity Lithium-Ion Secondary Battery | Patent No. 5279101 |
| 2015 | Coin-Type Lithium Battery | Patent No. 3722374 | |
