Toray Group takes an aggressive approach to obtaining business patents with high potential for use in developing advanced materials, and will firmly support this stance from here on as well. In recent years we have engineered a particularly pronounced shift to stress quality over quantity, which translates into greater stress on improving the caliber of our products. This has resulted in a more stringent focus on cost awareness and operational efficiency when studying whether or not apply for or request assessment of patents, as well as when rendering judgments on whether to retain or release existing patent rights.
At the end of March 2006, the number of Toray patents held in Japan was 3,048, with 1,240 (41%) of these currently licensed, 1,155 (38%) scheduled to be licensed in the future and 653 (21%) comprising patents for defense and other applications. The following chart breaks down these patents by specific R&D segment.
| R&D Segment | Fibers & Textiles | Films | Plastics | Chemicals | IT-related Products |
Carbon Fiber Composite Materials |
Life Science |
Water Treatment | Others | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Japanese Patent Acquisitions | 697 | 877 | 417 | 56 | 379 | 231 | 99 | 76 | 216 | 3,048 |
At the end of March 2006, the number of Toray patents held in countries other than Japan was 2,693, with the following chart breaking down these patents by specific R&D segment. The large number of overseas patents held for IT-related Products, Carbon Fiber Composite Materials and Life Science compared to domestic patents owned in those areas reflects Toray goal of expanding its global-scale operations in these businesses.
| R&D Segment | Fibers & Textiles | Films | Plastics | Chemicals | IT-related Products |
Carbon Fiber Composite Materials |
Life Science |
Water Treatment | Others | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Japanese Patent Acquisitions | 362 | 532 | 265 | 155 | 415 | 287 | 396 | 89 | 192 | 2,693 |
During FY Mar/06, the number of applications for Japanese patents filed by Toray Industries, Inc. and Toray Engineering Co., Ltd. was 1,802, with the following chart breaking down these applications by R&D segment. The relatively high number of applications for these patents compared to those held in Japan, and particularly in ITrelated Products, Carbon Fiber Composite Materials and Life Science, is a reflection of the Toray Group policy to actively seek out new patents in businesses positioned as Strategically Expanding and Developing Businesses. Besides this, Toray subsidiaries filed applications for 164 patents, which brings the grand total of applications for Toray Group in FY Mar/06 to 1,966.
| R&D Segment | Fibers & Textiles | Films | Plastics | Chemicals | IT-related Products |
Carbon Fiber Composite Materials |
Life Science |
Water Treatment | Others | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Japanese Patent Applications | 331 | 312 | 209 | 65 | 324 | 206 | 134 | 60 | 161 | 1,802 |
