Sumitomo Metals recognizes that intellectual property is a key element of our business, and we are continually working to acquire and utilize patents and other intellectual property rights for technologies we have developed.
We are dedicated to respecting the intellectual property rights of other companies, and conduct our technical development in such a way that it does not infringe on them. Training is continually conducted for our employees so that they will respect other companies' intellectual property rights.
Our company's products are widely used in industries where extremely high quality and reliability are required, such as the energy industry, automobile industry, and railway industry. We mark our products with Sumitomo trademarks such as “SUMITOMO,”
, or another original trademarks, and have earned the trust of our customers over many years. We have acquired these trademark rights not only in Japan but also in countries around the world, and use these trademarks appropriately on our products.
Particular in overseas, imitation products are sometimes sold bearing brand names that are similar to our own and which infringe on our trademarks. These inferior products are not only imitations, but are incapable of ensuring the performance and quality needed in the harsh environments where our products are often used, and they have in some cases caused losses to customers who bought these imitation products.
Sumitomo Metals takes appropriate action against parties who violate our trademarks or other rights, including warnings and reports to regulatory authorities, and is continually working to protect our trademarks.
Chinese authorities seizing imitation Sumitomo Metals products
