Ford intends to open up its electric vehicle patents in order to support sustainability.
The portfolio, which includes 650 patents and over 1000 patent applications focussing on specific electrical vehicle technology, would be open to the public.
However, Ford does not give away its patents for free. What it actually does, is opening up a part of its portfolio for licensing purpose. In order to use the portfolio or a part thereof, interested parties have to contact Ford’s technology commercialization and licensing office or work through Autoharvest, an automaker collaborative innovation and licensing marketplace. AutoHarvest allows members to showcase capabilities and technologies, then privately connect with fellow inventors to explore technology and business development opportunities of mutual interest.
The announcement of Ford is therefore rather a marketing strategy than anything else.
Article Published June 8th, 2015
