Abstract
In the fiercely competing high-tech industry, patent has already become the indispensable weapon for companies to compete. Following the industry of semiconductor, TFT-LCD namely became the domestic greatest industry of output value in Taiwan. However, big foreign companies often asked Taiwan companies to pay for huge royalties by using their strong patent portfolio. With the lessons drawn from others' mistakes, Taiwan companies should more actively enhance the intensity of patent and develop complete patent portfolio in the future. So far TFT-LCD industry gradually steps into mature stage, recently it even become to be the situation that the bigger the stronger. This study is aimed at 23 TFT-LCD panel manufacturers to analyze their patents in America and China two markets via patent map analysis, and further discuss the distribution of patent and changing in two markets after panel manufacturers proceed strategic alliance or even more merger. The result of study shows that the growth trend of patent in China market has certain degree the same as the American market, which reveals that each big TFT-LCD panel factory all realizes the importance of the patent portfolio in China market. However, in the past although the Japanese manufacturers had competency on patent overall American market, and simultaneously possessed highly patent quality so far, but nowadays the China market is got ahead of others by the factory of Korea and Taiwan instead, it has been already very few Japanese manufacturers that really diligently managed panel factories on China market. Recently many factories try hard to bestir themselves by ways of horizontal merger and joint-venture invariably, which has promoted TFT LCD industry to be the situation that the bigger the stronger. And from the patent map analysis we find that due to the situation that the bigger the stronger, all the top five patent manufacturers in America or China market have carry on merger or alliance with others. Analyze with the patent map of this research that we realize, although the patent is the important part that TFT LCD industry pays more and more attention in recent years, but it still seems to have other factors which can influence TFT LCD industry, so after patent map analysis, this research is aimed at Japanese, Korea, Taiwan, China four countries and study on three factors: output capability, LCD TV brands, LCM factory which located on Mainland China. The result of study is pointed out, in this fiercely competing TFT LCD industry which facing the situation that the bigger the stronger, it is not enough to only grasp a certain competency, impute to the reason that the top five panel manufacturers in 2006 in the world which accounting for the market share, those who can dominate to head of others, the data show, four indexes which the patent is inclusive of are the key factors to help these panel manufacturers to break through the tight encirclement.