On October 12, 2021, Mitsubishi Electric went public with Open Technology Bank, a patent licensing clearinghouse for many of its patents. This “Open Technology Bank” (OTB) of Mitsubishi Electric touts various technologies the company is willing to license to others to drive collective profit, as part of its drive toward more open innovation.[1]
Mitsubishi Electric was the second highest patent registrant in Japan (3,626) and third highest filer in the world for PCT applicants (2,810), in 2020.[2] Now, it offers many patented technologies for license. At this point this resource is in Japanese only, but even foreign investors may want to look into the seeds available to them there.[1]
The OTB website asks people to inquire about specific patents or technologies–some patents not shown on OTB may be available for license, and the type of license can vary from patent to patent.[1] Mitsubishi Electric stated that its focus on patents as exclusive, defensive tools has shifted to a more collaborative utility, recognizing the need for licensing and cooperative creation of new products.[3]
Please consult with your Japanese intellectual property attorney or agent if you need help mining the resources Mitsubishi Electric is offering on the Open Technology Bank.
* The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.
** For questions or consultation, please contact us for more information.
Contact: Taro Yaguchi
Sources
[1] Open Technology Bank. https://www.mitsubishielectric.co.jp/corporate/chiteki/otb/index.html Mitsubishi Electric Corp. Published October 12, 2021. Accessed November 4, 2021.
[2] Mitsubishi Electric Global. “Protection of Intellectual Property Rights.” https://www.mitsubishielectric.com/en/about/rd/ip/rights/index.page Mitsubishi Electric Corp. Accessed November 4, 2021.
[3] Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun. “三菱電機が始める新たな知的財産活動「オープンテクノロジーバンク構想」とは？ [Mitsubishi Electronics starts new IP action, ‘open technology bank idea’–what is it?].” https://newswitch.jp/p/27961 On Newswitch. July 12, 2021. Accessed November 4, 2021.
Header Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
