Regarding intellectual property as essential resource in business activities, we proactively engage in obtaining and utilizing our development results as intellectual assets. Based on the mid- to long-term policy "Develop a Business Culture that Respects Intellectual Property," we enhance our intellectual property framework, working with Intellectual Property, R&D and other divisions.

As of April 2012, the SII Group owns about 2,500 patents in Japan and about 3,400 patents overseas.

To encourage inventions and enhance SII’s technological competitiveness, we established invention incentive system since FY1965. In April 2005, this system was revised in line with the amended Japanese Patent Law Article 35. This attractive system motivates individual inventors to obtain upper-level patents.

To further enhance invention incentive, we also established and have been operating a new incentive system for an inventor with multiple inventions since FY2009.

We established intellectual property education programs based on the level of each employee’s understanding. The education program aims to develop employee knowledge and awareness for developing strong patents and preventing infringement of competitor’s patents, as well as enhancing motivation in the area of intellectual property.

We have been actively supporting intellectual propertyrelated associations which strive to achieve an intellectual property-based nation. SII dispatches committee members and lecturers, and provides comments on proposals from the associations to the Patent Agency, as well as promoting local intellectual property strategies.