Journey
Canon Marketing Japan Inc. - Intellectual Property (IP) Division
Canon Marketing Japan (hereinafter “Canon MJ”) Group has declared its commitment to becoming a “MIRAI Marketing Company” that shapes a sustainable society through the power of marketing and our corporate purpose is: “Bringing together hopes and ideas with technologies to create a future beyond imaging.” Headquartered in Japan, the Canon MJ Group carries out marketing activities and delivers solutions by combining Canon’s product business with IT solutions, continuously expanding its role in addressing social issues. Canon MJ’s IP Division serves as the central IP function for the entire group, offering one-stop support for inquiries and consultations from each group company. With a strong emphasis on delivering added value and peace of mind to customers, the division is actively involved in obtaining patents and other rights to protect R&D and solution development outcomes. It also contributes to product differentiation through naming support from a branding perspective. In addition, the division conducts thorough rights clearance for third-party intellectual property—including patents, trademarks, and copyrights (including open-source software)—to mitigate risks.
From an intellectual property perspective, it also plays a crucial role in supporting business expansion through activities that contribute to new business creation, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate investments.
From Customer Understanding to Patent Filing and Commercialization
A defining feature of the Canon MJ Group is its close proximity to its customers. Accordingly, many of the group's initiatives begin with listening attentively to customer feedback.
About 20% of the inventors listed in Canon MJ’s patent filings come from departments outside of development (such as sales). This highlights the company-wide commitment, from sales to development, to creating solutions that meet customer needs.
The IP Division works not only with development departments but also with sales and product planning teams, conducting in-depth interviews to truly understand customers’ work environments, challenges, and needs.
By combining insights into technology, market, and societal trends, the IP Division engages in cross-departmental discussions to generate ideas that directly address customer challenges, and then files and secures patents for those ideas. Furthermore, awarded patents are promoted internally and externally through various forms of recognition, encouraging innovation and supporting business initiatives through the utilization of these patents.
The IP Division is also actively building a robust patent portfolio in the growing field of AI-related technologies, which are increasingly being used by Canon MJ customers in business applications. By proactively identifying new inventions and filing patents, the division aims to enhance the competitiveness of Canon MJ products and services.
Going forward, Canon MJ’s IP Division remains committed to IP activities that start with a deep understanding of the customer.
IP Activities Contributing to New Business Creation, M&A, and Investment
Canon MJ’s IP Division aims to go beyond merely obtaining intellectual property rights, striving instead to play an active role in the broader process of intellectual property creation and to contribute meaningfully to the company as a whole. As part of this vision, the division helped establish a dedicated organization in 2019 focused on promoting new business initiatives. With the aim of contributing to new business creation as well as M&A and investment activities, members of the IP Division leverage the skills they have developed over the years (such as assessing product and intellectual property information and evaluating the technological level and future potential of innovations).
Specifically, members of the IP Division are involved in mapping out advanced technology fields, identifying areas with strong growth potential, and extracting potential investment or collaboration candidates from an intellectual property perspective. Through these efforts, they contribute to Canon MJ Group’s investment and business strategies, actively supporting the group’s sustainable growth.
In addition, to support startup investments and new business creation led by the R&B (Research & Business Development) dedicated organization established in 2024, the IP Division prepares investigative reports evaluating the technological capabilities and competitive strengths of target startups from an intellectual property perspective.
Furthermore, it has established a framework to provide intellectual property support to startups and other partners as collaborations progress.
Through these initiatives, the IP Division is fully leveraging the power of intellectual property to strengthen the Canon MJ Group’s long-term competitive edge and contribute to its sustained growth.
Promoting the DX (Digital Transformation) of Business Processes
Canon MJ’s IP Division also supports business operations beyond the traditional bounds of intellectual property management.
For example, in response to requests and consultations from business units, the division not only prioritizes swift response times but also works to reduce the burden on those requesting support by promoting DX of business processes.
In particular, the IP Division promotes greater efficiency through DX by introducing new tools for handling various requests and applications from business units, standardizing their use across group companies, and streamlining related operations. By carrying out these reforms, the division helps create an environment where sales teams, development departments, and group companies can focus on their core business—an essential form of support the IP Division sees as a key part of its mission.
Conclusion
In pursuit of its corporate purpose, the Canon MJ IP Division will continue to engage in forward-looking IP activities that anticipate the changing times, supporting the Canon MJ Group’s ongoing and sustainable growth.
(As of July, 2025)
