A global issue played out in Japan

In January 2004, a Japanese district Court ordered Nichia Corp to pay¥20billion (US$187million) to its former employee, Shuji Nakamura, theinventor of the blue laser-diode. The judgment is currently on appeal but themessage is clear enough – employers worldwide need to wake up fast to thevexed issue of compensating employees for their inventions. By Nigel Page