- What led you to choose ASICS?
I am originally from Taiwan, and from a young age, I was captivated by the power of communication through different languages. This early experience inspired my interest in connecting with people across cultures. ASICS, with its significant international presence and high overseas sales ratio, offered an environment where I could leverage my language skills and collaborate with teams from various countries. This was a major factor in my decision to join the company.
Additionally, I have participated in various sports, such as rock climbing, mountain climbing, and boxing. I believe sports have the unique ability to bring people together. From the perspective of intellectual property, I am passionate about working alongside development teams to create products that enhance safety and performance. By doing so, I hope to contribute to building a society where more people can unite as one team.
Can you describe your current job responsibilities?
I work in the Intellectual Property Department, where I primarily manage patents and design rights (industrial designs). Specifically, I collaborate with the development and design teams to prepare patent and design applications and manage communication with patent offices.
When preparing applications, I first hold detailed discussions with the development team about the latest advancements. We identify any technologies or designs that should be patented or registered. Then, considering the future direction of product lines and business, we refine the application content in consultation with external patent attorneys and the development team. We also consider the potential business impact and work together to ensure the applications align with ASICS' objectives.
Regarding interactions with patent offices, I handle responses to examinations conducted by patent offices in various countries. Merely submitting a patent application does not grant rights immediately; there is a rigorous examination process, and if the examiner finds reasons to reject the application, we are notified. In such cases, I analyze the feedback and assess the validity of the examiner's objections. I discuss the approach with the development team and specialists, such as patent attorneys or lawyers in each jurisdiction, and, if necessary, arrange meetings with the examiners to efficiently secure intellectual property rights that are beneficial to ASICS’ business.
Given the need to involve diverse stakeholders both inside and outside the company, I always approach my work with respect and a focus on building trust and cooperation. This approach has been crucial to moving projects forward successfully.
What would you like to challenge in the future at ASICS?
I have two main goals moving forward.
The first is to expand my expertise beyond patents and designs to include trademark-related work and counterfeit investigations, further broadening my role in the protection of intellectual property. While patent and design work focus on upstream protection aligned with future business developments, trademark work centers on protecting the market post-launch. By understanding the full business cycle from development to marketing and sales, I aim to support ASICS' intellectual property from all angles.
The second goal is to work more globally. Having accumulated knowledge of Japanese society and intellectual property systems, I now aspire to become a well-rounded intellectual property generalist who can thrive on the global stage. The Intellectual Property Department already involves collaboration with international team members, and I would like to leverage my language skills to contribute to and challenge myself further in global intellectual property activities.
Note: The profile and interview content reflect the information at the time of the interview.
