Technological integration for imitation deterrence of new entrants: evidence from the Japanese digital imaging industry in 1990–2014

Figures & data

Figure 1. Main components and light flow of the DSLR camera.

Figure 2. Adjustment apparatus for the positioning of the focusing screen. Source: Compiled by the author based on Japanese patent number 4334949 applied for by Olympus Corporation.

Table 1. Global market size and market share of DSLR cameras, DSLM cameras, and compact DSCs in 2010 and 2015 (quantity-based).

	DSLR Cameras		DSLM Cameras		Compact DSCs
	2010	2015	2010	2015	2010	2015
Market size (output)	10370	9400	2180	3950	136100	23000
Canon	0.47	0.55		0.02	0.15	0.28
Nikon	0.40	0.42		0.04	0.09	0.22
Sony	0.06	0.01	0.38	0.53	0.17	0.18
Samsung			0.18	0.13	0.11	0.04
Fujifilm				0.09	0.08	0.06
Panasonic			0.28	0.06	0.07	0.06
Casio						0.05
Olympus	0.03		0.17	0.11	0.07	0.03
HOYA	0.03
Kodak					0.08
Others	0.00	0.02	0.00	0.02	0.19	0.08
Market HHI	0.39	0.48	0.28	0.33	0.13	0.18

The data (1990–2014) were sourced from the Fuji Chimera Research Institute, Inc. “Others,” after 2014, include Ricoh. HOYA merged with Pentax in 2008 and transferred its imaging business to Ricoh in 2011.

Table 2. Time-series transition of the number of patents applied for by 11 camera manufacturing firms.

Firm	1980–1984	1985–1989	1990–1994	1995–1999	2000–2004	2005–2009	2010–2014	Total patents by firms
Canon	2450	5190	6605	6839	8339	9194	11223	49840
Ricoh	479	1023	1713	2851	4832	7889	4591	23378
Fujifilm	887	3143	3485	3983	4249	5468	1918	23133
Nikon	644	1055	2750	3077	2235	4620	3804	18185
Olympus	706	1305	2844	3001	3980	3333	2124	17293
Sigma	10	29	34	65	89	91	116	434
Tamron	9	26	13	39	91	201	232	611
Panasonic	1294	2520	2827	3100	5865	6103	4995	26704
Sony	535	1312	3411	4740	5486	6983	3037	25504
Casio	2	124	180	505	1347	1755	1479	5392
JVC	1	0	3	19	81	159	414	677
Total by year	6479	14291	20271	22955	29680	36899	29003	159578
Incumbents’ total	5185	11771	17444	19855	23815	30796	24008	132874
New entrants’ total	1294	2520	2827	3100	5865	6103	4995	26704
Incumbents %	80.03	82.37	86.05	86.50	80.24	83.46	82.78	83.27
New entrants %	19.97	17.63	13.95	13.50	19.76	16.54	17.22	16.73

Table 3. Number, percentages, and odds of camera-related patents applied for by 11 Japanese camera manufacturers for each IPC code and combinations thereof.

Firm	Total patents by firm		IPC code of patent			Combinations of IPC codes
			H04	G02	G03	H04*G02	G02*G03	G03*H04	H04* G02*G03
Olympus	17398	N	7565	5792	8382	1744	3172	3463	1204
		%	43.48	33.29	48.18	10.02	18.23	19.90	6.92
		Odds	0.77	0.50	0.93	0.11	0.22	0.25	0.07
Canon	50619	N	23165	13636	20673	4493	7458	8756	3408
		%	45.76	26.94	40.84	8.88	14.73	17.30	6.73
		Odds	0.84	0.37	0.69	0.10	0.17	0.21	0.07
Ricoh	23721	N	9100	6807	9880	1836	3108	3954	1382
		%	38.36	28.70	41.65	7.74	13.10	16.67	5.83
		Odds	0.62	0.40	0.71	0.08	0.15	0.20	0.06
Fujifilm	23208	N	8078	3888	12577	1280	1951	3007	924
		%	34.81	16.75	54.19	5.52	8.41	12.96	3.98
		Odds	0.53	0.20	1.18	0.06	0.09	0.15	0.04
Sigma	437	N	74	280	240	25	120	55	21
		%	16.93	64.07	54.92	5.72	27.46	12.59	4.81
		Odds	0.20	1.78	1.22	0.06	0.38	0.14	0.05
Nikon	18270	N	7331	5954	10480	1608	3592	3801	1368
		%	40.13	32.59	57.36	8.80	19.66	20.80	7.49
		Odds	0.67	0.48	1.35	0.10	0.24	0.26	0.08
Tamron	637	N	141	451	324	57	169	104	34
		%	22.14	70.80	50.86	8.95	26.53	16.33	5.34
		Odds	0.28	2.42	1.04	0.10	0.36	0.20	0.06
Panasonic	26970	N	11443	3232	2679	1133	1000	1871	587
		%	42.43	11.98	9.93	4.20	3.71	6.94	2.18
		Odds	0.74	0.14	0.11	0.04	0.04	0.07	0.02
Sony	25644	N	13947	3320	3326	1293	976	2335	655
		%	54.39	12.95	12.97	5.04	3.81	9.11	2.55
		Odds	1.19	0.15	0.15	0.05	0.04	0.10	0.03
Casio	5495	N	3460	661	1506	369	344	1331	301
		%	62.97	12.03	27.41	6.72	6.26	24.22	5.48
		Odds	1.70	0.14	0.38	0.07	0.07	0.32	0.06
JVC	480	N	480	48	151	26	27	132	19
		%	100.00	10.00	31.46	5.42	5.63	27.50	3.96
		Odds	1.00	0.11	0.46	0.06	0.06	0.38	0.04
Total	178491		84784	44069	70218	13864	21917	28809	9903
Incumbents’ total	151521		55454	36808	62556	11043	19570	23140	8341
New entrants’ total	58589		29330	7261	7662	2821	2347	5669	1562
Incumbents %	84.89		65.41	83.52	89.09	79.65	89.29	80.32	84.23
New entrants %	32.82		34.59	16.48	10.91	20.35	10.71	19.68	15.77
Incumbents’ odds			0.58	0.32	0.70	0.08	0.15	0.18	0.06
New entrants’ odds			1.00	0.14	0.15	0.05	0.04	0.11	0.03
Odds ratio of incumbents to new entrants			0.58	2.27	4.67	1.55	3.55	1.68	2.13

Table 4. Odds ratios (incumbents:new entrants) of the probability of each IPC code appearance (1980–1999).

	1980–1984			1985–1989			1990–1994			1995–1999
	Incumbents	New entrants	Odds ratio	Incumbents	New entrants	Odds ratio	Incumbents	New entrants	Odds ratio	Incumbents	New entrants	Odds ratio
Number of firms	7	4		7	4		7	4		7	4
Number of patents	883	1004		2903	1979		3944	3225		5369	3928
Number of patents in each technological region
H04	883	1004		2903	1979		3944	3225		5369	3928
G02	1748	294		3326	517		5060	819		4998	898
G03	3224	171		6410	466		10228	619		10840	873
H04*G02	192	121		383	192		887	384		843	308
G02*G03	1001	72		1951	145		2726	191		2604	232
G03*H04	288	90		781	282		1021	421		1867	572
H04*G02*G03	92	28		204	74		412	119		575	144
Odds
H04	0.21	1.21	0.17	0.33	1	0.33	0.29	1.01	0.29	0.37	0.89	0.42
G02	0.51	0.19	2.66	0.39	0.15	2.62	0.41	0.15	2.79	0.34	0.12	2.8
G03	1.64	0.1	15.97	1.2	0.13	8.95	1.42	0.11	13.29	1.2	0.12	10.32
H04*G02	0.04	0.07	0.54	0.03	0.05	0.66	0.05	0.06	0.84	0.04	0.04	1.16
G02*G03	0.24	0.04	5.85	0.2	0.04	5.22	0.19	0.03	6.04	0.15	0.03	5.29
G03*H04	0.06	0.05	1.14	0.07	0.08	0.93	0.06	0.07	0.89	0.1	0.07	1.41
H04*G02*G03	0.02	0.02	1.16	0.02	0.02	0.93	0.02	0.02	1.28	0.03	0.02	1.7

Table 5. Odds ratios (incumbents:new entrants) of the probability of each IPC code appearance (2000–2014).

	2000–2004			2005–2009			2010–2014
	Incumbents	New entrants	Odds ratio	Incumbents	New entrants	Odds ratio	Incumbents	New entrants	Odds ratio
Number of firms	7	4		7	4		7	4
Number of patents	11187	6348		17644	7558		12866	4988
Number of patents in each technological region
H04	11187	6348		17644	7558		12866	4988
G02	5818	1463		7717	2030		7735	1190
G03	10573	1560		11284	2254		9493	1625
H04*G02	2138	594		3264	756		3174	440
G02*G03	3290	469		3805	732		3987	486
G03*H04	4627	1229		7477	1790		6727	1200
H04*G02*G03	1624	360		2607	520		2688	301
Odds
H04	0.89	0.99	0.9	1.34	1.02	1.32	1.15	1.01	1.14
G02	0.32	0.13	2.5	0.33	0.16	2.14	0.48	0.14	3.49
G03	0.8	0.14	5.74	0.58	0.18	3.27	0.65	0.2	3.34
H04*G02	0.1	0.05	2.02	0.12	0.05	2.23	0.15	0.05	3.28
G02*G03	0.16	0.04	4.21	0.14	0.05	2.75	0.2	0.05	3.87
G03*H04	0.24	0.11	2.27	0.32	0.14	2.37	0.39	0.14	2.83
H04*G02*G03	0.07	0.03	2.52	0.09	0.04	2.58	0.13	0.03	4.03

Figure 3. Shift of product architecture for four cameras in the industry.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in J-PlatPat, at https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/.