Cars
Published on 16 August 2020 |
by Johnna Crider
August 16, 2020 due to Johnna Crider
Elon Musk, who recently announced on Twitter that he is trying not to be included in patents (mentioned on patents) was included in Tesla’s news. In an article published by Tesmanian, Elon Musk is listed as the inventor of patents relating to autonomous and user-controlled car calling for a specific purpose.
In 2019, the development team of Tesla developed its Smart Summon feature under the patent “Autonomous and user-driven car calls to a target.” The patent was just recently published on August 13, 2020, with a very well known name on the list of inventors.
I generally try my best not to be on patents
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 13, 2020
Whether he wanted the credit or not, it was given to him, but this gives a glimpse of just how deeply involved Tesla’s CEO is in every detail about the aspects that go into making a Tesla a safe product that his customers to keep. And what’s even nicer here is that Elon Musk is more focused on the final results, rather than the credit. He would rather take his entire team to credit if he dives into the creative zone, as I call it, and creates something else that will improve his products (at Tesla, SpaceX, Boring Company, Neuralink).
It seems that Elon Musk would rather be behind the scenes, working to make his dreams a reality, rather than taking credit for those dreams coming true. This is what sets Tesla apart from not only its competitors, but most other companies. We see Amazon as NVIDIA not giving away their patents or ideas, yet both Tesla and Elon Musk have made it known many times that Tesla’s patents are being released to those who want to use them honestly.
All our patents are to johttps: //t.co/HPK5R5UMS6 pic.twitter.com/t99riofeCI
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2019
The Bigger Picture
In 2014, Elon Musk announced on Tesla’s blog that her patents are open to anyone. He wrote on the wall of Tesla patents in the lobby of Palo Alto headquarters. “They are averse, in the spirit of the open source movement, to the advancement of technology for electric cars.” He wrote about Tesla’s goals – to accelerate the advent of sustainable transportation – and his hopes of leading the way by clearing a path for others to make EVs without tripping them with “intellectual property landmines.”
In the beginning of Tesla, this was not always the case. At Tesla, however, we felt compelled to file patents out of concern that the big car companies were copying our technology and then using their massive production, sales and marketing power to overwhelm Tesla. We could not have been more wrong. The unfortunate reality is the opposite: electric car programs (like programs for any car that does not burn hydrocarbons) at the major manufacturers are small to non-existent, and account for an average of much less than 1% of their total sales price. “
However, there is one small catch – you need to use Tesla patents in good faith. And, in my humble opinion, that’s not quite a price to pay for the value that Tesla is virtually giving away. Here is Tesla’s attitude towards good faith:
A party “acts in good faith” for as long as such party and its affiliates or affiliates do not have it:
-
- claimed, assisted others in hiring or had a financial interest in any claim of (i) any patent or other intellectual property right against Tesla or (ii) any patent right against a third party for their use of technologies relating to electric vehicles or related equipment;
- challenged, helped challenge others, or had a financial stake in each challenge for each Tesla patent; of
- marketed or sold any knock-off products (for example, a product made by imitating or copying the design or appearance of a Tesla product or suggesting an association with or approval by Tesla) or any material assistance provided to another party doing this.
This is not for competitors who want to steal from Tesla, or for those who have filed lawsuits against Tesla and tried to manipulate the action to harm the company. These patents are for companies that really want to make a difference and see Tesla as an ally, not a pure competitor like the enemy that needs to be taken down.
Some rivals such as BMW, General Motors and others who make electric cars, back in 2014, when this interview with Elon Musk took place, they had much shorter reach, and Elon Musk expected them to welcome Tesla’s patents to to go further. “We have had a number of questions from other car companies and we have told them to go ahead and use them,” he said.
While it is not known who uses Tesla’s patents, the fact that the leader of the electric car industry (with 28% of the global market now) is trying to help its competitors reach its level is real a beautiful thing. This proves that Tesla is about collaboration, because the stakes are higher than profits, cars, status and credit.
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About the Author
Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem, and mineral collector, a member of the International Gem Society, and a Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 on “Believe in Good.” Tesla is one of many good things to believe in. You can find Johnna on Twitter
