Intellectual Property

Basic Policies

(1) Protection of Intellectual Property Rights of Others

We will check for and address the possibility of infringement of the intellectual property rights of others at various times, such as when introducing new products to the market.

(2) Acquisition of New Intellectual Property Through Intellectual Property Intelligence

We will use information analysis tools to understand trends in technologies and intellectual properties within and outside the Morinaga Group, formulate measures to acquire intellectual properties not only on our own, but also through open innovation, and proactively invest in intellectual properties with the aim of creating new businessmodels for growth.

(3) Robust Management of Intellectual Property Portfolio

We will manage the multifaceted and strategic use of intellectual property rights held by our businesses to contribute to our businessand achieve continuous competitive advantage

Intellectual Property Strategy Organizational Structure

The Intellectual Property Division has established an Intellectual Property Strategy Group within the R&D Center for the purpose of collaboration with divisions related to research and development.

The Intellectual Property Division formulates and promotes intellectual property strategies, works to maximize the value of intellectual property assets and promote their effective utilization, and collaborates with research and business divisions. We are also strengthening cooperation between the Intellectual Property Division and corporate divisions to further enhance corporate value.

The Corporate Branding Committee deliberates on the formulation of policies for product brands and technology assets. The Invention Committee deliberates on the evaluation of patented inventions acquired through research and development, and rewards inventions according to their contribution to our business. The deliberations of both committees are reported to the Board of Directors.

Overview of Our Intellectual Property Strategies

The Morinaga Group will change into a wellness company in 2030. We are aiming to create new markets in order to support people’s wellness lifestyles in all generations worldwide.
To achieve this, we will formulate intellectual property strategies for each business domain by determining the market situation, the position of our products, and the direction of each business domain as defined in our management plan.
Once the intellectual property strategies are formulated, we will implement them based on the plan and flexibly revise them according to evaluations of the results, changes in market conditions, etc., with the aim of achieving growth and creating a new business model for the Morinaga Group.

Examples of Intellectual Property Use

“in Jelly” and Intellectual Property Rights

To ensure continued market dominance, we maximize intellectual property rights by protecting the product with patents, design rights, and trademarks.

Initiatives Related to “Choco Monaka Jumbo” and “Vanilla Monaka Jumbo”

We utilize valuable feedback we receive from our customers in our marketing efforts and protect these products with patents, trademarks, and know-how to improve customer satisfaction and brand value.

Invention Reward System

Number of Registrations
Number of domestic and overseas registrations
*As of the end of fiscal year 2021

[Patents]

Japan: 176

Overseas: 105

[Trademarks]

Japan: 535

Overseas: 596

Number of Applications
Number of domestic and overseas registrations
*Results for fiscal year 2021

[Patents]

Japan: 10

Overseas: 2

[Trademarks]

Japan: 42

Overseas:48

Invention Reward System

In recent years, 30 to 40 inventions per year have received invention rewards, and about 2 new eligible inventions are created every year.
By introducing these measures to motivate our researchers for such inventions, we promote the acquisition of high-quality intellectual property rights.