Tesla patents. Go ahead and use them.

[HopJokey]

He is not "giving away" any of the patents. He is simply saying you can use them for free in good faith.

 

[Eli]

Have you ever worked in a business? Particularly a business that creates new technology? Based on your post I don't think so.

Hell, lets get rid of anything in a business except the engineers. HR department? Nope! don't need that! They make sure everyone gets paid but they require paperwork, taking time away from innovation. CEO? Hell no. He makes demands and yells at everyone, which is bad for morale. And especially to fragile engineer egos. He might hurt the engineer's feelings and slow down innovation. The lawyers? They are useless! Surely they can go right? They make sure the company doesn't get sued and stays on the right side of the law, but they might require attention at some point and thus slow down innovation. and the marketers! Oh the marketers! We don't need those guys! Nevermind that they help the company make money! They detract from innovation (which is false BTW). Axe em! Axe em all!

In sum - your point is ridiculous.

Your attitude in this thread is a little extreme, don't you think?

Elon is obviously far more intelligent than you and I combined; I think you should give him a little credit. Did you even read the press release? It makes a lot of sense. A lot.

PS: I do work in a business where I (personally) create new technology, and am in patent processes with some of these technologies. However, it is easy to see the differences between this and the things I am working on. His vision is grand, and I applaud him for it.

 

[MarkXIX]

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/h_counts.htm

FWIW - there are good reasons the number of patent applications has increased dramatically since 1990. The main one being the internet, which ushered in unprecedented access to information and the creation of god knows how many business types that simply could not exist prior to its creation.

Yes, but it used to be that the "idea" guys were also the guys that carried through on their ideas, or they shared in that idea with gifted builders and engineers to produce things that people wanted or needed.

Today, any "idea" person can lock up that idea until someone else actually does something with it and then decide when and where to make money on their idea, whether or not they EVER intended to take it beyond a thought on some paper.

Hell, arguably, that's the problem with our entire country today. Everyone is more focused on their thoughts and ideas than actually doing something with them.

 

[Tommy2000GT]

He should have licensed them out like Kevin O'Leary

 

[SSSnail]

He should have licensed them out like Kevin O'Leary

No, if major automotive players pick up on his patents and develop the infrastructure and standards that will allow Tesla to sell more cars, that's how the "license fees" are recouped.

Elon didn't get to the Iron Man status for being stupid.

 

[Imaginer]

Yes, but it used to be that the "idea" guys were also the guys that carried through on their ideas, or they shared in that idea with gifted builders and engineers to produce things that people wanted or needed.

Today, any "idea" person can lock up that idea until someone else actually does something with it and then decide when and where to make money on their idea, whether or not they EVER intended to take it beyond a thought on some paper.

Hell, arguably, that's the problem with our entire country today. Everyone is more focused on their thoughts and ideas than actually doing something with them.

You have no idea how much I agree with the majority if not all of this post.

The following may not tie into the above but here is my additional opinions.

So much so, that it is going into privacy issues of closing off or shunning social networking (even this forum is a form of social networking) - thus the mentality of keeping one segregated in thought and making money off of pure thoughts (re: Youtube, streaming, and relying on channel ad revenue) instead of actually doing something constructive as well.

Or even, just making money on pure advice instead of actively contributing in sourcing and implementation (re: consulting).

 

[BladeVenom]

I think he should have offered cross licensing, or created a patent pool for all electric car manufacturers to join and share. That would have let everyone use his patents, and avoid any future lawsuits since they would have access to their competitors patents.

 

[momeNt]

I think we can all agree that he should have asked ATOT before posting his letter.

The amount of criticism he has received for this has made me wonder just who made him a billionaire? Was one of his inventions a pet project of Bill Gates? Because I really doubt he earned it any other way than a gift with the kind of scruples he is showing lately.