Defeat for Hitachi in inventor reward case
20 October 2006
Japan's Supreme Court last week ordered electronics company Hitachi to pay former employee Seiji Yonezawa ¥163 million ($1.4 million) for his inventions in a ruling that will reignite debate about employee compensation in the country
Japan's Supreme Court last week ordered electronics company Hitachi to pay former employee Seiji Yonezawa ¥163 million ($1.4 million) for his inventions in a ruling that will reignite debate about employee compensation in the country.
The Court upheld a 2004 ruling handed down by the Tokyo High Court that said Yonezawa was entitled to the reward in return for the benefits the company received from his contribution to technology patented in Japan and overseas. Hitachi had appealed that decision.
The October 17 ruling shows that when formulating remuneration policies for inventors, companies will need to take into account income received...
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