Providing security and safety for NTT Group's businesses and supporting their growth
Intellectual Property Strategy

The NTT Intellectual Property Center takes appropriate action to protect the results of intellectual property investment for new value creation and the sustainability of the planet, promoting its use while respecting the intellectual property of others.

NTT Intellectual Property Center Activity Policy

　NTT Group, which engages in R&D, from basic to applied, in a wide range of technological fields, has accumulated intellectual property investments (R&D investments) over the years as a telecommunications operator that are unparalleled around the globe.
　The NTT Intellectual Property Center has established an Activity Policy to provide security and safety and support the growth of the NTT Group's businesses as they continue to take on the challenge of creating new value and contributing to the sustainability of the planet. It promotes the formulation of an intellectual property strategy and appropriate protections for the intellectual property gained from our investments, all while respecting the intellectual property of others.
　For example, in the transition from the conceptual phase of IOWN to the implementation phase, we launched NTT Innovative Devices Corporation and are facilitating further investments in R&D. However, this is not an endeavor that can be accomplished by the NTT Group alone. The NTT Intellectual Property Center will continue to contribute to the creation of new value by supporting collaborations with our partners around the globe through various activities aligned with our policy objectives.

Formulating and Advancing Our Intellectual Property Strategy

　As NTT Group's core organization for managing intellectual property, we aim to secure competitive advantages by proactively and appropriately protecting and managing intellectual property rights (i.e., patents), or internal expertise, gained from the results of R&D, the source of our business activities.
　NTT aims to share the benefits of its R&D by broadly licensing out its technologies that help advance industry and technologies can be standardized and used throughout society. When deploying the results of R&D in their operations, each company in NTT Group respects the intellectual property rights of other companies.
　With our intellectual property strategy as the basis of these activities, we take a three-pronged approach to formulating and advancing our business strategies and R&D strategy for the sake of creating new value and contributing to the sustainability of the planet: (1) develop strategic intellectual property rights, (2) manage risks, and (3) deploy the intellectual property we own.

Intellectual Property Strategy

Intellectual Property Portfolio Related to AI Business

　The results of R&D, which plays a major role in the creation of intellectual property for NTT Group, has translated into ownership of approximately 18,000 patents around the world.
　In the NTT Group, we have long conducted R&D on AI technology, which is attracting significant public attention. This includes foundational technologies such as learning techniques, as well as applied inventions for a wide range of industries for which patents have also been obtained.

IPR*-DAY (initiative for raising interest in intellectual property across the Group)

　The NTT Intellectual Property Center has been holding a cross-Group comprehensive event known as IPR-DAY since last fiscal year, with the aim of elevating the level of interest in intellectual property among Group employees and helping them integrate this knowledge into their daily work.
　IPR-DAY 2022, conducted last November, saw the participation of 242 individuals from 55 Group companies, covering a diverse range of professions. During the event, lively discussions took place on timely topics provided not only by the NTT Intellectual Property Center, but also by intellectual property managers from various Group companies. Feedback from participants included comments saying that the content was overall refreshing and useful, leading to a significant rise in interest and understanding of intellectual property across the NTT Group.
*Intellectual Property Right

IPR-DAY 2022 Program