Olympus Corporation

Olympus Corporation (TSE: 7733; short name "Olympus") is a Japanese precision-optics and medical-technology company founded October 12, 1919. It is publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market and headquartered at 2951 Ishikawa-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo. Per the company's own disclosures for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, consolidated revenue was approximately ¥997.3 billion and consolidated headcount was 29,297.

Operations. Olympus describes itself as a medtech company built around gastrointestinal endoscopes. Its main business segments are Endoscopic Solutions (GI and surgical endoscopes, and related therapeutic devices) and Scientific Solutions (microscopes, industrial endoscopes and nondestructive-testing equipment). Historically it also made consumer digital cameras and audio products under the OM-D, PEN and Tough brands; the imaging business was carved out and sold to Japan Industrial Partners in 2021, after the litigation period below.

Patent-litigation posture. Olympus is an operating company and a two-way litigant, not an NPE. Across the five tracked matters it appears as plaintiff three times and defendant twice, all against a single counterparty, Maxell, Ltd., and all in 2018. The plaintiff-side actions are defensive: a declaratory-judgment action for non-infringement filed in the District of Delaware (Feb. 6, 2018, Olympus Corp. et al. v. Maxell, Ltd.) and two inter partes review petitions at the PTAB (May 18 and June 20, 2018). The defendant-side matters are Maxell's Delaware infringement suits filed Feb. 23, 2018, later consolidated with Olympus's DJ action. No cases appear in the Eastern District of Texas; the venue here is Delaware.

Notable context. The dispute centered on digital-camera technology: Maxell asserted patents on auto white balance, image sensors and recording/playback (e.g., U.S. 6,765,616; 7,199,821; 7,551,209; 8,130,284; 8,478,102) against Olympus camera models including the OM-D E-M1 Mark II, PEN-F and Tough TG-4/TG-5, while Olympus counter-challenged Maxell patents at the PTAB, including U.S. 7,995,897. Maxell (formerly Hitachi Maxell) is an operating electronics and energy company that also licenses patents. The court denied Olympus's §101 motion against Maxell's '102 patent (Nov. 2018).