日清食品即食麺製造法懷疑被抄襲

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

日清食品ホールディングス（大阪市淀川区）は３日、即席麺の製造法に関する特許を侵害されたとして、「サッポロ一番」で知られるサンヨー食品（東京都港区）と、同社グループの太平食品工業（前橋市）を相手取り、特許侵害の差し止めと２億６６５２万円の損害賠償を求める訴えを大阪地裁に起こしたと発表した。

　日清食品によると、同社は麺同士がきれいにほぐれ、食べる際に真っすぐになる即席麺を大量生産できる「ストレート麺製法」に関する特許を２００９年に取得し、「日清のどん兵衛」などの製造に活用してきた。だが、サンヨー食品が「サッポロ一番」の一部製品を作る際に形成される麺の形状が、日清食品の製法でできる麺の形に似ており、特許権を侵害されたと主張している。

　サンヨー食品は「訴状が届いていないので、コメントできない」としている。

（2012年12月3日19時57分 読売新聞）

(試譯文)

On the 3rd Nissin Food Products Holdings (Yodogawa District, Osaka City) noting that their patent on the manufacturing process of instant noodles was infringed, sued the Sanyo Food (Minato District, Tokyo) for the product known as "SAPPORO No. 1" and also sued the Peace Food Industry (Maeba City) of the same company group; it was announced that the petition which asked for the prohibition of patent infringement together with 266,520,000 yen reparations was started at the Osaka District Court.

According to Nissin Food Products, in 2009 it acquired the patent called the "straight noodles process" which could mass-produce instant noodles that could get loose finely, and become straight when you eat; it had utilized the patent in the manufacturing of the "Nissin Don Hyoe" etc. But when the Sanyo Food made their partial product of "SAPPORO No. 1", the shape of the noodles produced resembled the shape of the noodles produced by the Nissin Food Products. It was claimed that the patent right was infringed. The Sanyo Food supposed that "Since the complaint has not arrived, it cannot comment on the matter".

Instant noodle production is a big business. The way to produce it is a trade secret that could worth millions of dollars.