Nichia vs Nakamura Antonella Lados

1) Nakamura might have had several interests that contributed to the decision of filing the
lawsuit against Nichia. Although financial compensation seems to be the primary reason for
fighting over the patents against the Japanese company, there are other interests to consider.
To begin with, Nakamura might have wanted to seek ownership of the patent in order to gain
more recognition in the public eye and ultimately have a more prestigious career. After all,
Nakamura had dedicated his entire adult life in gaining a solid academic formation that would
allow him to conduct research towards a history-making breakthrough like the Blue LED lights.
Last but not least, Nakamura might have wanted to lead the fight on behalf of all the scientists in
his position, that to his understanding, were not being compensated adequately after
discovering and filing of the patent. As I see it, Nakamura’s behavior is somehow inconsistent
with Japanese culture. Nakamura went above and beyond in order to gain more recognition for
his work and this is why his case changed Japanese patent laws and was so important for other
scientists that weren’t capable of speaking up for themselves.

2) Nakamura’s argument could have been based on the lack of financial compensation for his
special award. He might have argued that ¥20,000 of special award was not enough and that
there should be a more representative award recognizing his hard work. Another argument
could have been the fact that even though he was working for the company, he was entitled to
the patent for experimenting and using specific materials that were not in the line of work of
other scientists.

3) The first option Nakamura had in dealing with the Blue LED light patent was to negotiate
directly with the company, without having to use legal means. Once this proved to be
unsuccessful, Nakamura filed the law suit against the Japanese company in an effort to obtain
the patent and receive the financial compensation he deserved. This is not common in the
Japanese culture, employees usually abide to the rules and don't expect to get special
treatment from their superiors or employers.

4) Nichia’s primary interest was to retain the patent for the Blue LED light that had increased
overall sales from ¥20 billion to ¥80 billion. However, keeping the patent and paying Nakamura
a considerable sum of money to settle the dispute wouldn't have made sense since Nakamura
was requesting ¥20 billion to settle. As a company, Nichia’s primary interest was more financial
as its sole purpose is to make a profit out of its products.

https://www.coursehero.com/file/24234438/Case-Nichia-vs-Nakamura/