Sony Corporation and Sony DADC announced that the companies received the 2011 Imperial Invention Award for their important contributions to the development of Blu-ray Disc (BD).

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Unedited press release follows:

Sony Corp. and Sony DADC Awarded Imperial Invention Award at 2011 National Commendation for Invention

At a ceremony held in Tokyo on June 20, Sony Corporation and Sony DADC were awarded the Imperial Invention Award at the 2011 National Commendation for Invention sponsored by the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation. This award recognized both Sony entities for “The Basic Structure and Manufacturing Method of a Blu-ray Disc.”

The National Commendation for Invention is held annually and aims to contribute to the development and advancement of science and technology by formally recognizing creators of particularly outstanding inventions as well as persons for their ability to exploit and promote inventions. The Imperial Invention Prize is the highest award presented. This year it was awarded in recognizing the fundamental invention of the basic structure and manufacturing method of the Blu-ray Disc which offered the world a new media with the potential to record HD broadcasts and content including movie and game entertainment by which this format became a new standard adopted throughout the world.

It was the first time for Sony to receive this prize since 1979 when the company was awarded The Imperial Invention Prize for a television signal recording system which recorded color and luminance signals on the same track by employing a frequency modulator.

At this same event, Sony was also awarded The Prize of the President of the Japan Patent Attorneys Association. This award recognized Sony for developing the BRAVIA ZX1 Series which was the world’s thinnest and lightest HD LCD TV at launch in 2008, thanks to original Sony LED backlight technology and an innovative panel structure.