Something is strange. 22 : Whose is the patent? 1

 

＜　Intellectual property rights include industrial property rights. ＞

Should a patent belong to an employee that invented it?

Or, is the patent a thing of the company as the government says?

Actually, this problem might determine the future of Japan.

特許権は発明した従業員のものでしょうか？　

それとも政府が言うように企業のものでしょうか？　

実は、この問題は日本の将来を左右する一里塚なのかも知れません。

＜　The steam engine of James Watt　＞

Why is the patent right necessary?

The Industrial Revolution arose in Britain in 18 century.

At this time, new spinning machine, power plant, steel manufacture technology, and transportation were invented one after another.

Strangely, the input resources such as raw cotton, wool, iron, coal, and water were almost the same.

A result of the change made it possible to produce finished goods with high efficiency, low cost, high quality.

This launched new industries and numberless companies, and produced the British overseas competitiveness.

Famous inventor James Watt founded the steam engine production company, and continued inventing.

The reason was because, since his patent right was admitted, he obtained the remuneration by an exclusive sale right.

The inventors who expected the benefit of own patent right continued performing invention and technical improvement every day.

特許権はなぜ必要なのか？

１８世紀、英国で産業革命が興りました。

この時、新しい紡績機や動力装置、製鉄技術、移動手段が次々と発明されました。

不思議なことに綿花、羊毛、鉄、石炭、水などの投入資源はほぼ同じものでした。

変わったのは、高効率、低コスト、高品質で製品を製造出来るようになったことでした。

これが新しい産業や企業を勃興させ、英国の海外競争力も生みだしたのです。

有名な発明家ジェームズ・ワットは蒸気機関製作会社を興し、発明を続けました。

それは特許権が認められ、独占販売による報酬を得ることが出来たからです。

特許権の恩恵を期待した発明家は、日々、発明と技術改良を行い続けたのです。

＜　a world's first car by Benz in 1885 ＞

Afterwards, many of founders of typical enterprises (car, electricity, and telegraphic communication, etc.) in Europe and the United States were inventors.

Thus, The patent is a detonator that produced the industrial innovation.

About the current Japanese situation.

The employed inventor in a company can leave his own name in a Patent Gazette as "Inventor".

However, his reward per one patent that is paid by the company might be 10,000 yen (100 dollars) or less.

The company that is “applicant” of the Patent Gazette has all the patent rights (the company paid the application expense).

Furthermore, Japan has culture of labor such as a house union, a continuous service.

In other words it is treated uniformly without the result of the invention being evaluated, and, as for the inventor, it is not possible for the company by request of the value.

That is, the accomplishment of invention is not evaluated, and is treated uniformly.

And the inventor cannot claim the counter value to the company.

その後のヨーロッパや米国の代表的な企業（自動車、電気、電信など）の創始者の多くは、発明家でした。

つまり特許権は、産業革新を生む起爆剤なのです。

日本の現状について

企業内の職務発明者は、特許広報に「発明者」として名前を残すことは出来るが、企業から支払われる報酬はほとんど1件数千円ぐらいでしょう。

実際の特許権は、特許公報の「出願人」である企業に総べてあるのです（出願費用は会社）。

まして日本は、企業内組合、永年勤続、会社人と揶揄される労働の文化があります。

つまり発明の成果は特段評価されず一律に扱われ、発明者は企業に対価の請求を出来る状況に無いのです。

＜　the steel industry advances. Industrial Revolution　＞

This situation has not achieved the purpose of raising motivation for invention.

Next time, I introduce an inventor who stood up to their situation by one person, and pursue the subject.

これでは、発明意欲を高めると言う特許本来の目的を果たしていないのです。

次回は、この現状に一人立ちはだかった開発者を紹介し、話を進めます。