Tesla makes their patents available to all
Image from flickr: Maurizio Pesce
In a blog post with the title "All Our Patent Are Belong To You" (a nice little nod to Zero Wing), Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is making their patents available to all. Saying "If we clear a path to the creation of compelling electric vehicles, but then lay intellectual property landmines behind us to inhibit others, we are acting in a manner contrary to that goal. Tesla will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology." What "in good faith" actually means is not stated, so where the lines will be drawn aren't clear.
Musk goes on to talk about his first company Zip2 and that "patents were a good thing and worked hard to obtain them", but he sees how patents can "stifle progress". Musk says, "After Zip2, when I realized that receiving a patent really just meant that you bought a lottery ticket to a lawsuit, I avoided them whenever possible."
Worried about competing car company's, patents were filed, but it seems that that is not his only concern now. He writes "At best, the large automakers are producing electric cars with limited range in limited volume. Some produce no zero emission cars at all."
With his open source philosophy to Tesla Motors patents, car manufacturers now have no excuse not to progress in electric vehicles. Another benefit Musk says is "our patents will strengthen rather than diminish Tesla’s position in this regard.".
Image Source flickr: Maurizio Pesce & Sam Felder
