初心忘るべからず（26） 知的財産部長になって困ったこと

開発部内に知的財産課を立ち上げた後、特許出願も順調に増え、当社の権利で他社から損害賠償金を得たり、ライセンス収入が増加したこともあり、知的財産部を作ることになりました。
知的財産部の部長になって最も困難だったのは、打ち合わせで知財部員の話す内容が理解できなかったことです。日本語で話される内容であるにも関わらず、知的財産特有の専門用語が多く、理解が追いつかない状況でした。会議の流れを遮ることもできず、後で課長に詳細を尋ねると、丁寧に教えてもらえましたが、担当者からは「部長、もっと勉強してください」という指摘を受けました。
近隣の早稲田大学では企業の知的財産担当者向けの研修講座が開催されていましたので、そこに通い、必死に勉強しました。その結果、担当者からの「部長、もっと勉強してください」という指摘は減り、より円滑なコミュニケーションが可能になりました。
 
 
Challenges Faced as the Head of the Intellectual Property Department
 
After establishing the Intellectual Property Division within the Development Department, we saw a steady increase in patent applications, as well as obtaining damages from other companies for our rights and a rise in licensing revenue, which led to the decision to create the Intellectual Property Department.
 
The most challenging aspect of being the head of the Intellectual Property Department was the difficulty in understanding the discussions during meetings with the intellectual property team members. Despite these discussions being conducted in Japanese, there were numerous specialized terms in intellectual property that made it difficult to keep up. I couldn't interrupt the flow of the meetings, and when I later asked my section chief for details, they kindly explained. However, I received feedback from the team members to 'Please study more, sir.'
 
Fortunately, there were training courses for corporate intellectual property professionals offered at the nearby Waseda University. I attended these courses diligently, studying hard. As a result, the criticisms from the team members to 'Please study more, sir' reduced, and smoother communication became possible.