Musk: "All Our Patent Are Belong To You"

[TomT]

Apparently Nissan and BMW are interested in talking to Tesla...

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2459554,00.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Zythryn]

Apparently Mazda and BMW are interested in talking to Tesla...

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2459554,00.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mazda??
Didn't you mean Nissan?

If anybody would use Tesla patents "in good faith" I would trust Nissan to.

Just imagine a 150 mile Leaf with SC capability

 

[donald]

Just imagine a 150 mile Leaf with SC capability

Why not imagine a more attractive car with 150 mile range and SC?

 

[evnow]

His patents can now be freely used by BYD and other Chinese manufacturers

How do you arrive at this conclusion?

Isn't that the meaning of "opening the patents" ? Ofcourse that means Tesla can use the patents of BYD and other Chinese companies, if they have any.

 

[Zythryn]

Just imagine a 150 mile Leaf with SC capability

Why not imagine a more attractive car with 150 mile range and SC?

I buy cars for their utility, not looks.
I would be thrilled with a 150 Leaf.
If they want to make it better looking, great.
If there are competitors with 150 mile cars that are better looking, I might buy one of those instead.

Competition is good!
My first priority is "does it have the range I need".

 

[Zythryn]

His patents can now be freely used by BYD and other Chinese manufacturers

How do you arrive at this conclusion?

Isn't that the meaning of "opening the patents" ? Ofcourse that means Tesla can use the patents of BYD and other Chinese companies, if they have any.

Not quite.
I listened to the Q&A after the announcement.
Tesla will be happy to allow anyone to use any of their patents as long as they act "in good faith".
This seems to indicate a willingness for both sides to share patents.
It sounded as if each party would negotiate an exchange of patent(s).

So yes, they are mostly open, as long as the company that wants to use them is willing to offer a/some patents in exchange.

 

[evnow]

So yes, they are mostly open, as long as the company that wants to use them is willing to offer a/some patents in exchange.

So what happens if the company is new and has no patents to offer ?

This goes back to my earlier comment about - how is this any different from usual patent sharing agreements that is common among large companies in many industries.

 

[mkjayakumar]

I don't know where you guys got this idea of patent exchange.

To me in 'good faith' means, go ahead and use my technology and if you improve on it, then make that also free and do not lock up improvements or any discoveries you made on top of Tesla's inventions. Just like Open source software

Often Patents are used not necessarily to build great products and make profit out of it, but to essentially block others from advancing their products. Sometime they lock a whole line of technology because the fundamentals are patented. Also the other motive is to sue if in case someone ends up using your patented tech. This is what irks Musk.

 

[evnow]

I don't know where you guys got this idea of patent exchange.

From Musk's Q&A.

 

[Zythryn]

I don't know where you guys got this idea of patent exchange.

To me in 'good faith' means, go ahead and use my technology and if you improve on it, then make that also free and do not lock up improvements or any discoveries you made on top of Tesla's inventions. Just like Open source software

Often Patents are used not necessarily to build great products and make profit out of it, but to essentially block others from advancing their products. Sometime they lock a whole line of technology because the fundamentals are patented. Also the other motive is to sue if in case someone ends up using your patented tech. This is what irks Musk.

Here is an article on it...http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/06/12/tesla-motors-inc-to-give-away-patents-good-or-bad.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The above was, I think, one example of what "good faith" means, but likely not the only option.

 

[KJD]

Nissan, BMW and Tesla are reportedly in discussions to cooperate on charging networks. Details on the precise aspects of these discussions are unknown at this time, but Financial Times is reporting (via undisclosed inside sources) that Nissan has joined the party.

http://insideevs.com/nissan-joins-bmw-meeting-tesla-discuss-universal-charging-network/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[TomT]

The first version of the story said Mazda, perhaps incorrectly...

Mazda??
Didn't you mean Nissan?

 

[aarond12]

Mazda has an EV version of the Demio in Japan (Mazda2 in the States) in a very limited release. Mazda could also be in talks with Tesla to get their first EV off the ground worldwide.

 

[bbrowncods]

It's a play on an old video game from the 80's I think. The "Engrish" translation was atrocious and became a meme: All your base are belong to us is perhaps a Musk fave from his teenage video game producing years.
I thought it was pretty funny and I'll bet a lot of Silicon Valley guys his age geeked out over it.

I'm not his age or from Silicon Valley, nor have I ever played a video game. But I got the joke since I'm familiar with that famous broken English phrase. In reading comments on the Tesla forum, however, it was apparent that some people didn't get it and were put off by it.

True. I just figured if a billionaire wants to say "are" who am I to argue. I figured it was a play on words. Now I know it are the case.