Toyota gives free FCV patents to help support a ‘hydrogen-based society’
Japanese vehicle manufacturer Toyota, which wants to make fuel cell vehicles more widely available and demanded, “will allow royalty-free use of approximately 5,680 patent licenses” it holds globally, the company said in January shortly after the launching of a FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) car model.
“By allowing royalty-free use of FCV-related patent licenses, Toyota is going one step further as it aims to promote the widespread use of FCVs and actively contribute to the realization of a hydrogen-based society,” the company said in a statement. The first announcement of the decision to give away patents was officially made during an event in Las Vegas in January, the company said.
“Toyota will allow royalty-free use of its FCV patent licenses by those manufacturing and selling FCVs through the initial market introduction period, which is anticipated to continue until about 2020. This initiative will include patents that are critical to the development and production of FCVs, such as those relating to fuel cell stacks (approx. 1,970 patent licenses), high-pressure hydrogen tanks (approx. 290 patent licenses), and fuel cell system control technology (approx. 3,350 patent licenses),” it added.
Toyota plans to make the royalty-free patent licenses available for use to companies and organizations that conclude contracts with Toyota.
