SearchSABIC Intellectual Property: Protecting and Supporting SABIC's Assets
SABIC’s strategy sets forth a roadmap for the company to realize its vision of becoming the preferred world leader in chemicals and a true global powerhouse in the industry by delivering ‘Chemistry that Matters™’. SABIC's ability to realize this vision, in turn, depends, in part, on the strength of its intellectual property (IP) assets and the ability to enforce and manage those assets.
At SABIC, IP is more than a way of protecting an idea or concept. It reflects our best knowledge, supports SABIC's strategic pillars, and is core to our operations, heritage, and future, underpinning SABIC's ability to innovate and deliver solutions to global customers. SABIC’s IP legal rights protect our innovations, data, manufacturing processes, customer relationships, digital networks, workflows, and other valuable assets, in a number of ways.
Our patent portfolio, for instance, reduces risks and helps realize the value of SABIC's technology efforts. By protecting processes, products, and establishing exclusive patent rights in strategically valuable technology spaces, our patent portfolio helps SABIC manage its growth and deliver quality and excellence in our products and services to our customers.
Our trademark rights support our brand - one of the most valuable in the world, as well as the numerous brands associated with our products and services. Meanwhile, our copyrights protect SABIC's ever-increasing number of creative works that are used .in our daily business operations. Such creative works include our databases, operating manuals, process flow diagrams, presentations, and training materials, among other items. Confidentiality and use restrictions also play a pivotal role in protecting our non-public information, crucial for us to retain our competitive edge.
As such, we depend upon a wide range of intellectual property to support our products and services and enable the long-term viability of our business. All of this is key to us achieving our vision of becoming the preferred world leader in chemicals. In today’s uncertain world, without effective IP management and protection, our ability to operate effectively and grow, foster innovative solutions and deliver an impact to our customers, would be jeopardized..
LEGAL AFFAIRS: SAFEGUARDING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Our IP Legal Affairs team plays a vital role in safeguarding SABIC's technology and other information-based assets with intellectual property assets.
TThis is achieved by (i) protecting technology with strategically aligned patent filings, patent prosecution, advocacy, and active patent portfolio management; (ii) protecting SABIC's trade secrets, copyrights, and other information assets through contract and licensing rights; (iii) supporting SABIC's brands by providing trademark legal services and effective liaising with commercial teams; and (iv) providing ongoing support to operational processes and driving operational excellence through data analytics, training, and legal counselling services.
Protecting Technology with Strategically Aligned Patent Filings
Patent rights protect SABIC’s technologies and products. SABIC's Legal Affairs IP Team is actively involved in the preparation, filing, prosecuting, and management of a patent portfolio of about 10,000 active patent filings. Working closely with members of the Technology & Innovation organization, SABIC's legal professionals (i) ensure that new patent filings are aligned with business objectives and (ii) periodically review existing patent filings and issued patents to ensure SABIC's patent portfolio remains aligned with business priorities and objectives.
Examples of some our patents include unique processes for producing methanol, recycling polyolefin and converting crude oil into lower boiling point chemical feedstocks. For example, patented SABIC materials helped commercialize light weighting solutions that helped automotive customers reduce the weight of a well-known SUV model by as much as 35% from its predecessor – setting new standards for fuel economy and CO2 emissions.
Legal Affairs’ practices and workflows ensure that our patent portfolio is well-managed and continuously updated. This optimizes the balance between the competitive impact of our patent portfolio and the costs required for maintenance of patents. In other words, our workflows and practices enable us to protect our market differentiating solutions.
Protecting SABIC's Trade Secrets, Copyrights, and other Information Assets
SABIC's Legal Affairs IP Team is actively involved in drafting, negotiating, and managing numerous types of agreements that create valuable protection for SABIC's trade secrets, copyrights, and licenses.
For example, the Legal Affairs IP Team engages with business and technology teams as they plan and execute complex projects with other companies. The team helps structure technology-driven transactions in various forms, such as joint development agreements, joint ventures, and licensing arrangements.
Supporting SABIC’s Brands by Providing Trademark Legal Services
Our trademark legal services help build and protect SABIC’s brand – one of the most valuable in the world. SABIC’s brand was valued at US$ 4.67 billion in 2021, reflecting the growing positive perception of SABIC among customers and other stakeholders. Such value reflects SABIC's commitment to consistently create value for its customers as a chemicals industry leader, focused on delivering: “Chemistry that Matters™ solutions.
A further example of our support to strong branding and trademark strategy is our pioneering TRUCIRCLE™ initiative. SABIC’s Legal Affairs' IP team facilitated the selection of and secured protection for the TRUCIRCLE™ trademark globally. This has enabled us to emphasize our unique value propositions, relating to circular economy solutions and has further allowed our partners to recognize the efforts made by SABIC with regards to sustainable innovation.
Providing Ongoing Operations Support
SABIC's Legal Affairs' IP Team provides ongoing operational support through data analytics, training, and legal counselling services. For instance, the Legal Affairs IP Team work with T&I and other organizations, advising on processes that help monitor and protect SABIC's intellectual property assets. This includes advising on IT security protocols/processes that protect SABIC's trade secrets and confidential information encompassed in SABIC's digital assets.
The Legal Affairs IP Team also assists in interpreting contracts and providing business counselling to internal organizations to ensure SABIC complies with its contractual obligations. It routinely conducts intellectual property due diligence reviews on new ventures which ensure that SABIC's executives are well-informed in investment decisions.
COLLECTIVELY SAFEGUARDING SUCCESS
Intellectual property is among our most valuable assets and it safeguards success for both our business and our customers. At SABIC, we are committed to establishing, protecting, maintaining, and defending our rights for all commercially significant intellectual property and to using those rights in legally responsible ways.
Ultimately, protecting and leveraging our employees’ innovations is a collective responsibility. The Legal Affairs' IP team empowers SABIC employees with the training they need to help them identify different forms of IP, understand the role of IP in their areas of responsibility, and know how to use IP to protect their works-all of which supports us as we continue on our journey to become the preferred world leader in chemicals.