The Tesla just became the world’s first open-source car.
Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla Motors Inc., said Thursday that he is opening up the electric car company’s patents to all comers.
“Technology leadership is not defined by patents, which history has repeatedly shown to be small protection indeed against a determined competitor,” Musk said, “but rather by the ability of a company to attract and motivate the world’s most talented engineers. We believe that applying the open-source philosophy to our patents will strengthen rather than diminish Tesla’s position in this regard.”
Although it is dramatic — auto companies and other businesses usually jealously protect their patents — Musk said Tesla’s move will be of modest help to rival car companies and should speed the adoption of electric cars.
“We have a bunch of patents relating to electric powertrain technology and how it integrates into the rest of the vehicle. I think that will be generally helpful,” he said.
Tesla will also open up the technology it is using to build its supercharger network, a chain of charging stations that rapidly recharge its cars, that the automaker is building across the country. Musk said he has already talked to BMW about sharing the network.
Overall, patents are not as important as doing innovative engineering works quickly, so that you “invalidate your prior patent,” he said.
Musk said that electric cars are such a tiny slice of the auto market, and other automakers are doing so little with them, that he doesn’t see allowing others use of Tesla’s technology hurting the Palo Alto, Calif., electric car company.
“We think the market is plenty big enough for everyone,” Musk said. “If we can do things that don’t hurt us and help the U.S. industry, we should do that.”
“Our true competition is not the small trickle of non-Tesla electric cars being produced,” he said, “but rather the enormous flood of gasoline cars pouring out of the world’s factories every day.”
‘Good faith’
Musk, who is also chief executive of rocket builder SpaceX, noted that the aerospace company has “virtually no patents,” yet its competitiveness in the rocket business is unaffected.
Tesla will allow others to use its patents in “good faith.” Musk said that means that if another manufacturer is using Tesla’s patent, it can’t file lawsuits against the electric car company for patent infringement.
Moreover, “we would not want someone to mimic our car in such a way to deceive customers into whether it is a Tesla,” Musk said, adding he is just “looking for common sense and fairness.”
Musk said there were two prime motivations for the move.
Opening up Tesla’s technology could increase sales of electric cars and move the world away from oil-burning vehicles that contribute to global warming.
“I don’t think people quite appreciate the gravity of what is going on. We need to do something. We would be shortsighted at Tesla if we kept these things close to our vest,” Musk said.
He also believes that patents are too often used to stifle innovation and as an excuse to file lawsuits. He said the patent system needs reform.
Tesla will continue to seek patents for its new technology so as to prevent others from poaching on its advancements and then filing their own patents as a “blocking maneuver.”
But Tesla’s future patents will also be open to others willing to follow Musk’s “good faith” guidelines.
