Japanese Standardization Activities and Policy
Speakers
Abstract
| Japanese Standardization Activities and Policy (Masahito TAKAGI) |
| The Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC), which was established within the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), participates in international standard development activities as Japan’s sole representative body in the ISO and the IEC. In Japan many standardization activities have traditionally been placed under the leadership of the government. JISC conducts surveys and deliberations on industrial standardization based on the Industrial Standardization Act. |
| Though the Japanese government comprehends the importance of the international standards, the activities were not sufficient to progress the status and position of Japan in ISO and IEC. So JISC has developed the Action Plan for strengthening the national commitment to international activities that consists of four pillars. Recently, it has become the trend to have a small government and the role of industries in standardization will increase rapidly. How to improve the consciousness of an enterprise’s executive officers regarding the importance of international standards is one of the most important issues. International standardization is one of the important tools to access, expand and gain global markets. What is the ideal combination both with public and private sectors in standardization will also be discussed. |
| ISO27001 certification in Japan (Masahito TAKAGI) |
| Japan is the leading country in ISO/IEC 27001 implementation. ISO27001 was translated and published as a national standard JIS Q 27001 in 2006 in Japan. Certification is activated based on the national standard since then. About 3,000 organizations had achieved certification by the end of this January. Achieving ISO27001 certification under the scheme enables an organization to develop comprehensive and efficient information security measures and also to enhance its information security structure as well. |
| A simple survey revealed that many companies that achieved certification recognize that they have acquired the benefits of developing and managing ISMS. The organization can have greater confidence in its information security and assure its level of security to its external and international partners. In addition, by maintaining risk management and implementing appropriate controls, the organization can reduce the likelihood of information security incidents and damages when they actually become obvious. This consequently leads to increased corporate value. The history of ISMS Certification Criteria including JIS, and motivation and consensus process in the organization of developing ISMS will also be discussed. |
| Patent policies and the “hold-up” problem(Takashi TSURUMI) |
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The primary object of the “patent policies” is to prevent the occurrence of so-called “hold-up”. But the present patent policies are not competent in preventing “hold-up” problems completely. Followings are often pointed out as the reasons which might cause this situation. 1. It is very difficult to retrieve all relevant patents without an omission. 2. It is considered to be disadvantageous for the members of the panel to report their own patents or other members’ patents, claiming that they may cover the scope of standard technology they are discussing. 3. Standard organizations don’t want to be involved in conflicts over patent rights. As the methods to solve this situation, we’d like to propose a joint study on the possibility of introducing neutral, authorized patent retrieval organizations which are very competent in patent retrieval. One of the candidates is a registered patent retrieval organization which was established under the auspices of Japan Patent Office. |
| Why is the standardization slow in Japan? (Masayuki ITO) |
| The 2007 ICES workshop revealed that few policy makers acknowledge the contribution the standardization activities have made to the industry as well as to the society, and that most corporate managers do not recognize the strategic significance of standardization in building their market power. Why is it, in the case of Japan, when she has benefitted from global opportunities more than most other countries, and when the standardization is known to help raise productivity and expand the business horizon? |
| The huge loss forecast released these months from auto and electronics industries, traditionally strong sectors of Japan, seems to reflect a fragility of business model and past success experience in areas like vertical integration, strong product division, emphasis on hardware vs. software, profiting from innovation, and even a culture placing value on perseverance. |
| Consistent corporate and business policy, and more work across business, industry and borders are essential to make changes. The standardization is one such agenda in need for more educational efforts. Philips and Panasonic are used to show how two electronics giants has transformed trying to meet changing environments and stay as global players. |
| Contact information: |
| Dr.ir. H.J. de Vries |
