Risk of Other Companies Securing Patents First Due to Refraining from Patent Applications
First written in FY2017. 1 of 3 entries say "Restated". Latest entry: FY2020.
The whole theme swung hardest in 2024: 3 of 7 companies on the "Worse" side.
3 other companies' latest entry also says "Mitigated".
- FY2020MitigatedAnnual report
「To prepare for such circumstances, the company keeps internal records documenting the implementation of the relevant matters so that it can assert a non-exclusive license based on prior use.」
The company explicitly describes its response to the risk of another company's patent being granted when patent applications are withheld: retaining internal implementation records so that it can assert prior-use rights. - FY2019RestatedAnnual report
「For patents relating to manufacturing methods where infringement is difficult to detect, and for patents relating to specialty lubricants where disclosure of the composition could leak formulation know-how to other companies, the company may refrain from filing applications to preserve confidentiality. Accordingly, if another company files a patent application covering such matters, the patent may be granted.」
The company is reaffirming the risk that a patent held by another company may be granted when patent applications are withheld to keep know-how confidential. - FY2017First statedAnnual report
「For patents relating to manufacturing methods where infringement is difficult to detect, and for patents relating to specialty lubricants where disclosure of the composition could leak formulation know-how to other companies, the company may refrain from filing applications to preserve confidentiality. Accordingly, if another company files a patent application covering such matters, the patent may be granted.」
The company describes for the first time the intellectual property risk that, when patent applications are withheld to keep know-how confidential, a patent held by another company may be granted.