Regarding disciplinary dismissal of a former employee of our company for misappropriation of confidential information

TBM Co., Ltd. has taken the following disciplinary action against former employee Eiji Mizuno.

We believe that thorough compliance is essential to increasing our corporate value. In particular, with regard to information management, we have endeavored to prevent information leaks and to educate and enlighten our employees by creating a system for managing confidential information with the Unfair Competition Prevention Act in mind.

Below we will inform you of the details of the disciplinary actions taken by the Compliance Committee.

---

1. Details of disciplinary action
Disciplinary dismissal (effective August 31, 2023)

Former employees who were dismissed

Eiji Mizuno (General Manager, Next Generation Business Promotion Office)

　

2. Reasons for disciplinary action
・Eiji Mizuno (hereinafter referred to as "Mizuno"), a former employee of our company and head of the Next Generation Business Promotion Office, transferred information that corresponds to trade secrets, such as information obtained during product and business development related to the CCU business that our company had been promoting for some time, and materials related to patents in preparation for application, to an external database without permission, and attempted to use the trade secrets for personal use. As this may have been a violation of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, which carries criminal penalties, we established a compliance committee and conducted a rigorous investigation.

- Delaying patent application procedures with the intent of preventing Mr. Mizuno from finalizing his rights regarding the CCU business.

・Mr. Mizuno did not devote himself to his work at the Company. Instead, he conspired with other employees of the Company to change jobs or even to operate the CCU business as an independent business outside the Company's jurisdiction. He had numerous meetings, business negotiations and contacts with other companies and shared confidential information during those meetings.

　

The actions of Mr. Mizuno mentioned above were in violation of our company's work regulations, and the Compliance Committee has imposed disciplinary dismissal on him.

　　

3. Measures to prevent future recurrence

If we are found to have engaged in any acts that violate the Unfair Competition Prevention Act in relation to this case, we will take strict action. We will also remind our employees of the importance of complying with laws and regulations, and will work to prevent recurrence and ensure compliance with high ethical standards and a sense of responsibility in our daily work.