巻頭言知的財産の使い方

太平洋セメント研究報告(TAIHEIYO CEMENT KENKYU HOKOKU) 第169号(2015)
◇巻頭言◇
知的財産の使い方
知的財産部
部
長
吉
岡
勇
治
日常, 新聞・テレビ等で報道されるニュースで知的財産(知財)に関係するものが意外に
多いことに気付きます. 最近の例では, ノーベル医学生理学賞を受賞した大村智北里大学
特別栄誉教授の寄生虫による病気の治療薬の特許収入が 250 億円にのぼり, 北里研究所の
運営に大きく貢献したことが話題になりました. ノーベル賞関連では昨年も, 青色発光
ダイオード製造方法の開発でノーベル物理学賞を受賞した中村修二教授が, 開発当時所属
していた企業と発明の対価を争い, 企業が支払うべき対価として 200億円の判決(和解して
実際の支払いは８億円)がでました. 特許侵害訴訟では, アップルとサムスンのスマ－ト
フォン関連特許紛争が有名です. その他,新日鉄住金,東芝の技術流出事件,東京五輪エン
ブレム問題等, 知財に関連した事柄が頻繁に報道されています.
また,企業を舞台にした小説・ドラマの題材にもしばしば知財が取り上げられます. 私は
知財の業務を始めた当初, 少しでも早く知財になじむために知財を題材とした小説をいく
つか読みましたが, そのなかでも池井戸潤の直木賞受賞作「下町ロケット」が秀逸です.
この小説はテレビドラマとして放映されているのでご覧になったかたも多いと思います.
主人公が経営する中小企業が，大企業から特許侵害訴訟を受け倒産寸前まで追い込まれま
すが, 逆転で和解し 56 億円もの和解金を受け取って倒産を回避するというストーリーで,
特許侵害訴訟の攻防が, わかりやすく, スリリングに描かれています. 物語の後半では,
この中小企業が開発した衛星打ち上げロケットの燃料制御バルブシステムの特許出願が,
大手重工メーカーの開発した同様のシステムの特許出願よりわずかに早かったため，その
会社から譲渡を持ちかけられますが, 主人公は部品供給の道を選びます. 大企業からのい
やがらせとも思われる厳しい条件をクリアし, 部品を供給して技術力アップに繋げました.
現実は小説のようにハッピーエンドとならないことのほうが多いのですが, 特許の使い方
を知るうえで参考になります.
少々横道にそれましたが, 知財はさまざまな使い方があり, うまく使えば経営に多大な
貢献をもたらします. 大企業といえども対応を誤れば中小企業に足元をすくわれることも
あります. 世の中では知財戦略と称していろいろな事例が紹介されていますが, その企業,
事業, 製品に合った知財の使い方を選んでいるだけで，決まったパターンはありません.
研究開発において, 将来の事業化, 製品化を目指して開発を進めることは言うまでもあり
ませんが, 知財も研究開発の段階から将来どのように使っていくのかを考えることが重要
です. 材料,部品を供給するのか,技術をライセンスするのか等さまざまなバリエーション
があり, 事業, 製品に合った知財の使い方を提案することが我々知的財産部の腕の見せど
ころだと思っています.
太平洋セメント研究報告(TAIHEIYO CEMENT KENKYU HOKOKU) 第169号(2015)
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How to Use Intellectual Property
It is surprising how often news relating to intellectual property is reported regularly in
the newspapers, television, etc. In one recent example it was reported that the patent
revenue of the drug developed by Satoshi Ōmura, Professor Emeritus at Kitasato University
and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, to treat diseases caused by
parasites is 25 billion yen, which has contributed greatly to the operation of the Kitasato
Institute. In another Nobel-related story, in the dispute between Professor Shuji Nakamura
who received the Nobel Prize in Physics last year for the development of the method of
manufacturing the blue light-emitting diode and the company to which he belonged at the
time of the development regarding his bonus, the judgment he obtained was that the
company should pay him 20 billion yen (although the actual payment was subsequently
reduced to 800 million yen). The patent dispute concerning smart phones between Apple
and Samsung is famous. In addition other matters relating to intellectual property are
frequently reported, such as the technology leaks at Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal
Corporation and Toshiba, the emblem problem for the Tokyo Olympics, etc.
Also in the subject matter of novels and dramas set within companies, intellectual
property frequently appears. At the time I started doing intellectual property work I read
several novels with intellectual property as subject matter, in order to familiarize myself
with intellectual property a little faster. Of these “Shitamachi Rocket (Downtown Rocket)”
by Jun Ikeido and which won the Naoki Prize is excellent. This novel was broadcast as a
television drama, so many people will have seen it. A medium-sized company managed by
the hero is sued for patent infringement by a large company and is pushed to the brink of
bankruptcy. However in a reversal they are awarded a settlement of 5.6 billion yen and
avoid bankruptcy, and in the story the offence and defence of the patent infringement suit is
thrillingly depicted in an easy to understand manner. In the second half of the story the
patent application for a fuel control valve system for a satellite-launching rocket developed
by the medium-sized company was filed slightly earlier than the patent application for a
similar system developed by a large heavy industry manufacturer. The large company
proposes a transfer, but the hero selects the path of supplying the components. Severe
conditions that can be considered to be harassment from the large company were cleared by
the medium-sized company, and improve their technical capability to supply the
components. The novel has a happy ending, unlike many cases in reality, but the novel is a
good reference on ways to use patents.
I may have rambled a bit, but there are many ways to use intellectual property, and if
skilfully used it can make a major contribution to the operation. Even a large company can
be caught wrong-footed by a smaller company if their response is wrong. I have introduced
various examples from around the world in connection with intellectual property strategy,
but there are no defined patterns for selecting the use of intellectual property to suit a
company, business, or product. In research and development it goes without saying that
development is carried out with the objective of future business or products, but it is
important to consider from the research and development stage how the intellectual
property should be used in the future. There are many variations, such as whether to
supply material or parts, or whether to licence the technology, etc. I believe that proposing
the method of using intellectual property to suit the company or product is where the
Intellectual Property Department can show our skills.
YOSHIOKA, Yuji
General Manager
Intellectual Property Department
TAIHEIYO CEMENT CORPORATION

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