Intellectual Property Policy

In order to fulfill our Company Mission of “Quality First” at the Rohm Group, we strive to improve upon technologies held by each department by properly protecting and using our own intellectual property, we will improve our corporate value.
Also, the Rohm Group respects the intellectual property rights and strives to ensure that we do not infringe on the legitimate intellectual property rights of third parties.

Intellectual Property Activities and Strategy

The Rohm Group is analyzing the relationship between sales and the number of patents in order to maintain an appropriate intellectual property position in the semiconductor industry. The Rohm Group sets the target number of patents and the target number of patent applications commensurate with the projected sales as a “Global Major” and strives to realize an intellectual property position that is aligned with its management strategy.
The Rohm Group holds intellectual property rights in not only Japan, but also overseas for important technologies. In addition, the Rohm Group not only patents its own technology in areas of our business focus, but also procures patent rights from third parties. This strengthens our patent portfolio in accordance with our management and business strategies.

Trends in the number of registered patents.

Patent portfolio and sales by segment.

Intellectual Property Activity Promotion System

In the Rohm Group, the head of the Intellectual Property department hosts and leads the IP strategy meeting, which is composed of technical division heads and held four times a year. In the IP strategy meeting, discussions and formulations are conducted on the company-wide IP strategies and policies (hereinafter referred to as the IP strategy policy). The formulated IP strategy policy is reported to the management executive meeting that is attended by the president and other executive officers. The company makes management decisions at the management executive meeting. Important matters discussed at the management executive meeting are also reported to the board of directors, and the directors can directly supervise the IP. This IP strategy policy is shared with the business divisions, and the IP strategy is promoted from the top down. Furthermore, the Employee Invention Advisory committee, which is composed of technical department heads, is at the center, encouraging new inventions and promoting the intellectual property rights of those inventions.

Intellectual property activity promotion system

Developing Human Resources to Promote Intellectual Property Activities

At the Rohm Group, we systematically implement intellectual property education for employees of all grades, from new hires to managers, aiming to develop personnel who promote intellectual property activities. In addition, the Rohm Group has set its own evaluation criteria to assess intellectual property activities, and every year we honor engineers who have met these criteria as recipients of the Rohm Invention Award. In particular, we promote the creation of intellectual property by inventions born in the Rohm Group through incentives, such as setting up a newcomer award for young employees.

History of External Awards

ROHM Group has received numerous awards at regional invention awards sponsored by the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation.

History of invention awards