Integrity Management

Intellectual Property Management

To improve CSC's intellectual property management system continuously, it introduced the Taiwan Intellectual Property Management System (TIPS) and compiled an "Intellectual Property Management Manual" to establish a management system that links intellectual property management to operational goals based on PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle. Apart from the management system with a complete framework, CSC has also set up a dedicated unit to assist in the implementation of intellectual property management affairs and provided incentives to encourage employees to engage in innovative R&D activities. The "CSC Intellectual Property Updates" has been built, and training programs have been conducted to disseminate the concepts of intellectual property and improve employees’ practical skills.

Intellectual Property Risk Management and Implementation Outcomes

CSC combined intellectual property management with operational development of the dual-core strategies, namely, "becoming a steel mill that provides premium products with high value" and "development in the green energy industry," along with "Digital transformation," "Low-Carbon transformation," and "Supply Chain transformation," to draw up a plan that links intellectual property management to operational goals. By strengthening management measures in terms of acquisition, protection, maintenance, and use of intellectual property, risks can be mitigated and potential damages can be reduced, which increases CSC's competitive advantages.

Implementation of Intellectual Property Management

  • The "Intellectual Property Management Manual" is the basis for operations of intellectual property management, for the purpose of achieving established intellectual property management policies and goals. Mechanisms, such as internal audits and management reviews, have been conducted to ensure the operation of the system and continuous improvement.
  • CSC has established its intellectual property management policies and goals after having comprehensively considered its operational development strategies, the external environment, internal status, stakeholders, and evaluation of the intellectual property risks and opportunities that should be dealt with.
  • E-Systems for patents, trade secrets, trademarks, and copyrights management have been built to keep all the related documents and records properly, with secure confidential document management.

Intellectual Property Management Policy

  • CSC will implement the intellectual property management system and pursue sustainable operations.
  • CSC will enhance its R&D innovation and intellectual property deployment.
  • CSC will embrace smart innovation and accelerate enterprise transformation.

Strengthening Management Measures In Terms of Acquisition, Protection, Maintenance, Use of Intellectual Property and Rewarding Innovation

CSC established specifications for patent applications, reviews, and evaluation processes for maintenance. Incentives, such as proposal bonuses, certification bonuses, and Patent Recognition Awards have been provided to encourage employees to engage in innovative R&D activities, focus on directions related to CSC's operation and development strategies, and promote the licensing of non-core patented technologies externally. The Technology Transfer Management Committee has been established to conduct reviews so that the innovative technologies and patents developed by CSC can be utilized by various industries and generate intellectual revenues for CSC.

2024 Patent Recognition Awards granted by the Chairman and by the President

Employee Training and Dissemination of Intellectual Property

  • To improve employees’ literacy in intellectual property and instill them with right concepts, training program for new employees has included intellectual property training, with dissemination of CSC’s intellectual property management policy, goals, and the duty of confidentiality.
  • Tailored intellectual property courses, courses have been classified into "Basic Education Training" and "Education Training for Responsible Personnel," have been offered to meet employees’ needs, enhancing their awareness of intellectual property and professional competencies of the responsible personnel, respectively.
  • Publications are used to popularize concepts of intellectual property, and experts and scholars are invited to give various lectures on patents based on the needs of employees and CSC to effectively enhance their practical skills.

Photos of training on intellectual property

Mechanisms for Resolving Intellectual Property Disputes

CSC has established the guidelines for resolving intellectual property disputes to reduce the potential damages to CSC and ensure that the management team receives sufficient information and assistance when making decisions to safeguard CSC's rights and interests.

TIPS certification

CSC received the TIPS recertification in 2024, and the scope of intellectual property covered patent, trade secret, trademark, and copyright. CSC was one of very few companies to receive certification for 4 types of intellectual property after the revision of TIPS regulations in 2016, which showed that CSC's intellectual property management system was acclaimed by an impartial and professional national level certification institution.

Deputy Director General Yu-Hsin Tsou, IDA, MOEA granted the TIPS A-level certificate to President Shou-Tao Chen, CSC

Implementation Status

Intellectual property-related matters are reported to the Board of Directors at least once a year. On December 27, 2024, the report was sent to the 17th meeting of the 18th-term Board of Directors.

The main implementation status was as follows:

  • Six diverse courses (education training & seminar included) were offered throughout the year to enhance employees’ competencies systematically. A total of 6,443 employees had participated as of 2024.
  • Patent gazettes reviewing activities were completed to avoid intellectual property disputes and reduce barriers to technological development.
  • Analyses of patent maps aligned with CSC’s operational goals were completed.
  • Confidentiality management of Knowledge Management System was strengthened by establishing document management and sharing mechanism.
  • Keep promoting suppliers for signing an agreement to the terms of intellectual property, to safeguard CSC's rights and interests.
  • Employees were encouraged to innovate, focusing on the technology related to CSC's operation and development strategies, to achieve the annual goal of the number of patent proposals.
  • Inventory of intellectual property was taken, and a list of intellectual property was compiled.
  • Implementation and maintenance of the intellectual property management processes were enhanced, and internal audits of intellectual property were completed.

The results were as follows:

  • As of November, 2024, CSC had been issued 3,316 patents in Taiwan and overseas, of which 3,144 is domestic patent and 172 is foreign patent.
  • In the National Invention and Creation Awards organized every two years by the Intellectual Property Office, MOEA, CSC has won the silver medal in 2024. The entry submitted was "SELF-BONDING COATED ELECTRICAL STEEL SHEET, LAMINATED CORE, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME" (Patent No. TWI726763). To date, CSC has been awarded three gold medals, ten silver medals, and one Industry Contribution Award, which has demonstrated that CSC’s innovation and R&D capabilities have been recognized by the government.
  • Gold Award at the 3rd Taiwan Sustainable Action Award

Certification

CSC was granted the Taiwan Intellectual Property Management System (TIPS) certificate, which is valid until December 31, 2026.