IP Consulting
■ The 1st Step: “Analysis and Comprehension of Strengths”
With regards to your company’s products and services, we will analyze and gain understandings of its strengths utilizing the value chain (*1)
*1 Value Chain
A concept that was first described and popularized by Michael Eugene Porter, a professor at Harvard Business School, in his 1985 best-seller, "Competitive Advantage".
*2 Value-Chain-Categorized Expansion Technique
A technique for creating business growth, as well as acquiring and utilizing IP rights strategically. It was developed by Hironori Nishihara, a Japanese Patent Attorney. He has partly introduced this technique in his paper and a publication.
“IP strategies conducive to continuous corporate growth” written by Hironori Nishihara, a Japanese Patent Attorney (Chizai Prism, issued in July 2010 by Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry)
■ The 2nd Step: “Ranking Strengths”
We then rank the strengths firmly understood in the 1st step. The ranking is performed not only by their internal factors, but also by including external factor analysis which utilizes PPM (*3). This enables us to create more efficient and strong IP strategies which allocate more investment toward higher valued categories.
*3 PPM (Product Portfolio Management）
A method to categorize products and services within a firm developed by Boston Consulting Group.
■ The 3rd Step: “Extracting the Elements of IP”
Based on the firm understandings and rankings of the strengths in the 1st and 2nd steps, we elucidate the elements of IP which can be protected by patents.
Based on the merits and demerits within the laws of patent, utility model, design, trademark, copy right, and unfair competition prevention, we advise our clients how we should protect the above elucidated elements of intellectual property.
We also advise when it is suitable to conceal some information as trade secrets, or on a management system designed to receive protections by law.
■ The 4th Step: “Assessment based on MEBA (*4)”
We evaluate the current condition in comparison to the idealized IP strategies derived through the steps up to this point utilizing MEBA. We also advise how and in which points barriers of entry should be fortified in order to assist the growth of your business.
*4 MEBA (Method of Entry Barrier Assessment)
A method to assess a barrier of entry protected by intellectual property rights, developed by Nishihara Hironori, a Japanese Patent Attorney.
■ The 5th Step: “Spiraling up by Periodical Reviews”
he evaluation of any improvements made toward the assessment and advisement within the 4th step, and re-evaluation appropriate for changes occurred within a business are performed periodically. By repeating this process periodically, we can develop IP strategies focused toward the future, which in turn builds barrier of entry beneficial to you, and assist the growth of your businesses by further strengthening the competitiveness.
