We invited four people in Epson's Intellectual Property Division to talk about the experiences they acquired through Epson's intellectual property activities and what interests them and appeals to them about working in the IP field at Epson.

1. Using IP expertise to benefit the company and society

I was assigned to work in corporate R&D when I first joined Epson. Although it was the placement I had hoped for, I found myself struggling with the feeling that I wasn't truly making a difference to the company or society. I began to question whether I was in the right job. It was around that time that someone from a patent firm I had worked with as an inventor told me that I was suited to IP work. That comment inspired me to request a transfer to the intellectual property department.

Patent clearance was the work that left the biggest impression on me after my transfer. There was a particular instance in which a host of issues related to other companies' patents had to be cleared before we could launch a certain product. Even with some advising that we should abandon product development, I doubled down, working with engineers to develop strategies to avoid or invalidate the patents of others. Eventually, I was able to help successfully bring the product to market. That was the moment I felt that I had used my own IP expertise to benefit the company and society.

Later, as I sought to further develop my skills, I had the good fortunate of being sent as a trainee to a U.S. law firm with whom we had a relationship. After returning to Japan, I gained practical experience in patent infringement litigation and licensing negotiations. Eventually, I became a manager, leading initiatives to digitalize workflows, revise the incentives system, and develop IP landscape strategies.

Intellectual property work is diverse and deep. While you must continually update your skills to keep pace with the times, you also must have business and management knowledge and insight in order to contribute to the company and society. IP work is an area where you never feel you've accomplished complete mastery, but that's precisely what makes it's so rewarding.

2. A supportive, flexible IP work environment allows working mothers and young employees a place to shine

I majored in international law at university and aspired to work in intellectual property at a global manufacturer, to support technology and manufacturing with legal expertise.

My first job after joining Epson dealt with trademark filing and registration. In part because the team was small, I was given opportunities early on to be involved in global trademark selection, working under complex conditions including constraints due to existing trademarks and preferences of the operation divisions. This allowed me to gain experience in thinking from a high-level perspective. With support from my supervisor, I was later given the chance to spend a year at a sales company, learning about trademark operations in actual practice in sales and marketing.

After that, I took maternity and childcare leave, and upon returning to work, I gained experience in counterfeit prevention, patent licensing negotiations, and IP contract review. Although I initially felt uncertain due to my lack of experience in patent work, my coworkers and supervisors patiently taught me the ropes. I was able to witness firsthand how intellectual property contributes to business, by protecting our technology and brands through IP rights and working with the legal and business departments to negotiate contracts. This experience gave me a strong sense of accomplishment and a deep appreciation of IP work.

I feel that the climate in IP operations at Epson encourages and supports the taking of chances for those who want to take on new challenges, regardless of their experience and background. Many of the women working in IP are in leadership and management positions. There is a lot of leeway when it comes to flexible work arrangements and there is freedom in communication. These make it easy to seek advice, which I greatly appreciate. Many of my coworkers have transferred here from other departments or companies, creating a stimulating environment with diverse people and values.

Currently, I serve as a manager. I hope to preserve this positive culture and atmosphere. I want to help build an organization that supports young employees who want to take on new challenges and that contributes to company growth.

3. Earn qualifications while working. Gain confidence and professional expertise by becoming a registered patent attorney

I have been working in the Intellectual Property Division ever since I joined Epson right out of university. Initially, I worked as a patent engineer for the microdevices business, handling patent filings and prosecution, clearance, and rights utilization. Later, I transferred to the projector business to gain more diverse experience. The emphasis in IP activities involving business-to-consumer products like projectors is different from that involving B2B products like electronic components, so I constantly think about how I can contribute to the business.

After becoming more comfortable with work a few years into my career and having come from a science and engineering background, I began to feel the need to deepen my expertise as an IP professional. So, I decided to enroll in a prep school and became a licensed patent attorney. The work was hard, but I feel that the intensive courses in intellectual property law during that time gave me a new core skill. Currently, in addition to my regular duties, I also work as an in-house patent attorney, interviewing patent examiners over the phone and sharing IP-related information internally.

Many of Epson's business operations are located within Nagano Prefecture, making internal job rotations relatively easy, and IP work offers opportunities to experience a wide range of business areas. Having a core skill allows me to maintain consistent output even when the business in which I am working changes, and I feel it helps me broaden my capabilities.

4. Intellectual property: The unsung hero of manufacturing

Since joining Epson, I have been part of the Intellectual Property Division, working on patent filing and prosecution.

Early in my career, I was assigned to the watch field, where I helped secure rights for a new technology—the first of its kind in Japan—that leveraged Epson's strengths. During the patenting process, I engaged in extensive discussions with the team and design engineers to differentiate our invention from the many existing technologies in the mature watch industry and obtain the most effective patent rights. The resulting patent was featured on the product's website, which helped to promote the brand by using intellectual property. Moreover, the invention was recognized with a special award at the National Commendation for Invention hosted by the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation. Sharing that with the patent team and design engineers was a proud and invaluable moment.

Currently, I am working in the robotics field, an area that involves complex technologies that integrate mechanics, control systems, electronics, sensing, and software. Since the range of fields that must be covered is so broad, I often find myself struggling due to gaps in my own knowledge. To deepen my understanding of the technologies and fill these gaps, I work closely with the design department and am working on filing strategies for protecting our core technologies and activities to protect our products ascertaining how they relate to other companies' patents.

These tasks cannot be completed by the IP department alone. We rely on collaboration with the design department and other teams. The knowledge that we are supporting a business as a team is rewarding for me.

Ultimately, one of the most appealing aspects of working in Epson's Intellectual Property Division is that we can take advantage of a wide range of opportunities to gain experience in different areas—from protecting our products to promoting our brands through the strategic use of patent rights.