Risk Management: Intellectual Property Protection
Our Approach
As the competitive landscape continues to evolve, the scope of intellectual property in SUBARU’s business activities is expanding beyond traditional automotive and aviation technologies into a broader range of technological fields. Under these circumstances, the proper management, protection, and utilization of intellectual property are essential to further enhance the value of the SUBARU brand.
The SUBARU Group has put together a vision for its intellectual property activities with aims to achieve brand management with the SUBARU Difference, carrying out activities under the Basic Intellectual Property Policy. In addition, SUBARU has established the SUBARU Group Intellectual Property Policy for its Group companies in Japan with the aim of minimizing intellectual property risk, protecting, expanding and securing an advantage in business, and protecting the SUBARU brand and maximizing its value through business activities that respect intellectual property.
Basic Intellectual Property Policy
- We will strengthen efforts to plan and implement initiatives utilizing intellectual property to support the resolution of various issues related to management strategies, business activities, and product development.
- To protect and enhance the SUBARU brand, we will strengthen efforts to create intellectual property through “Monozukuri Innovation” and “Value Creation” and appropriately manage our intellectual property portfolio.
- We respect the intellectual property rights of others and will thoroughly conduct patent clearance activities in product development to avoid infringement of third-party intellectual property rights.
- To protect customers from illegal counterfeit products and imitation activities and enable them to use our products and services with confidence, we will strengthen initiatives aimed at their eradication.
Revised in June 2025
SUBARU Group Intellectual Property Policy
- Business Activities That Respect Intellectual Property
The SUBARU Group shall use and manage intellectual property appropriately, ensure sufficient clearance with respect to third-party intellectual property rights, and conduct business activities that respect both our intellectual property and that owned by third parties. - Management and Effective Utilization of Intellectual Property
The SUBARU Group shall, in principle, use and manage its intellectual property appropriately by fostering information sharing and collaboration between the SUBARU Intellectual Property Department and each Group company. When necessary, it shall establish organizational structures or assign responsible individuals within Group companies to manage intellectual property-related matters.
The SUBARU Group shall strive to maximize Group-wide benefits by effectively utilizing intellectual property within the Group, including through licensing of intellectual property rights. - Handling Intellectual Property Disputes
The SUBARU Group shall resolve disputes related to intellectual property in good faith and in a comprehensive manner through cooperation between the SUBARU Intellectual Property Department and each Group company being sure to gain the support of stakeholders and prioritize business sustainability. - SUBARU Corporate & Brand Logo
The SUBARU Group shall adhere to the regulations established by SUBARU, including company-wide regulations concerning corporate brand management and the Corporate and Brand Identification Manual, ensuring the proper use of the SUBARU corporate and brand logo.
Established in April 2021
Management System
At SUBARU, the executive officer in charge of the Intellectual Property Department oversees the execution of intellectual property-related operations. The Intellectual Property Department is responsible for formulating intellectual property strategies based on IP landscape*1 analyses; managing the filing, registration, and maintenance of intellectual property rights in accordance with these strategies; handling intellectual property disputes; and conducting internal training. In addition, the department hosts various meetings that discuss intellectual property strategy and operates these committees in collaboration with R&D divisions and the internal company organization.
At the Intellectual Property Strategy Committee, the respective officers in charge attend to discuss intellectual property strategies for the Automotive Business and the Aerospace Company. The Patent Promotion Committee has established promotion organizations within the Automotive Business and the Aerospace Company to plan and carry out its activities. The Trademark Committee also meets to share issues, report on measures against counterfeit products, and discuss the trademark portfolio.
- *1
- An analytical method that uses intellectual property information (primarily patent information) as a starting point to conduct a comprehensive analysis of technology trends, competitor activities, markets, and the business environment. The results of this method are applied to management, business, and technology strategies.
Intellectual Property Promotion System
Identified Risks
The SUBARU Group safeguards the technologies and expertise necessary to deliver its value of “Enjoyment and Peace of Mind” to customers through its products and services as intellectual property, and strives to maintain and enhance the SUBARU brand value. If a third party manufactures products similar to those of the SUBARU Group by improperly using the Group’s intellectual property, or if litigation related to intellectual property arises and a ruling is made against SUBARU, this could have a significant impact on the SUBARU Group’s business performance and financial condition. To maintain and enhance brand value and to appropriately address these risks, we are implementing various initiatives in accordance with our Basic Intellectual Property Policy and the SUBARU Group Intellectual Property Policy.
Initiatives
Strategy Planning
SUBARU formulates intellectual property strategies through collaboration between its business units and development divisions and the Intellectual Property Department, based on an IP landscape that takes into account technological and market trends. The strategies we develop are implemented as concrete initiatives—including not only securing intellectual property rights but also options such as keeping information confidential and forming partnerships—and are reflected in our intellectual property portfolio. Through this cycle, we promote intellectual property activities that drive business value while appropriately selecting between competitive fields (closed) and collaborative fields (open).
Establishing Intellectual Property Strategies and Practicing Portfolio Management
Measures against Counterfeit Products
SUBARU is stepping up its efforts to monitor and eliminate counterfeit products. In addition to reporting listings for removal on e-commerce sites, we file applications with customs authorities both in Japan and overseas to prevent the importation of counterfeit products. We also conduct joint training sessions with other companies to help Japanese customs officials identify counterfeits, and we support efforts to crack down on counterfeiters by cooperating with police and overseas law enforcement agencies in their investigations and raids. We issue warnings and file lawsuits against malicious counterfeiters.
Due to the rise in listings of counterfeit products, the number of actions against counterfeits has been increasing year by year, and in FYE March 2026, we prevented losses totaling 16.4 billion yen. We will continue to strengthen our cooperation with law enforcement agencies such as the police and customs authorities, and we will continue to crack down on counterfeit products—particularly those involving safety-related parts and products bearing unauthorized brand logos.
Number of Anti-Counterfeit Measures
Education and Awareness-Raising Activities
SUBARU is restructuring its training system to develop the human resources needed to implement its intellectual property strategies, building on a foundation of compliance. Starting in FYE March 2026, we revised the traditional rank-specific training system and implemented a new training framework that expands the scope of participants. In addition to conducting annual basic training (e-learning) for all employees in the relevant departments, we are gradually rolling out voluntary training programs for interested employees within those departments, as well as training for new managers.
We also distribute IP reports to management and development departments, which summarize the results of IP landscape analyses focused on business challenges and technology trends. In addition, we publish an IP newsletter on our intranet, which provides practical tips and useful information to help employees become more interested in intellectual property and apply it to their daily work.
Invention Incentive and Commendation Program
SUBARU has established an incentive system tailored to each stage of the invention process to raise employee awareness of intellectual property and encourage the acquisition of patent rights.
In addition, to encourage inventive activities and foster the creation of valuable patents, we hold an Outstanding Patent Award Ceremony every year. From among the patents registered with the Japan Patent Office, the heads of each department and internal company select those deemed particularly outstanding and present them with awards.
External Evaluations of Intellectual Property
SUBARU has been selected for the first time for the Clarivate Top 100 Global Innovators 2026, a list of the world’s top 100 innovative companies and organizations published by Clarivate, a UK-based information services company.
Clarivate selects the top 100 companies using its proprietary patent research platform, based on patent data held by companies and organizations around the world. SUBARU was particularly highly rated in the categories of Influence and Success.
