The patents come from the automotive and industrial technology spheres. In doing so, the company is for the first time pledging patents before patent protection expires. At the German Patents and Trademark Office, a patent is valid for a maximum of 20 years once it has been registered. Bosch’s action is part of an initiative sponsored by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), headquartered in Geneva.
The objective of this “Eco-Patent Commons” initiative is to promote and accelerate the development of sustainable technologies and processes by making freely available patents that have a positive impact on the environment. In the Eco-Patent Commons, a total of 94 patents can now be used by third parties free of charge. Apart from Bosch, DuPont, Sony, and Xerox have recently also made other environmentally relevant patents freely available for use by third parties. The initiative was launched by the WBCSD at the beginning of 2008, under the auspices of IBM and Sony. Some 200 multinational enterprises are members of the WBCSD. Bosch joined the council in 2007.
Most of the pledged Bosch patents relate to automotive technology. The technologies that now are publicly available include applications for energy and engine management in the vehicle: for example, for the manufacture of injection systems and particulate filters. Among other things, the patents help lower fuel consumption when driving, reduce emissions, or convert waste heat from vehicles into useful energy. “The free access allows the broader use of patents previously protected for Bosch. This will benefit the environment,” said Peter J. Marks, member of the Bosch board of management with responsibility for environmental protection.
Bosch intends to further expand its research and development work on technologies that protect the environment and conserve resources. In the automotive area, for example, Bosch and Samsung SDI have recently set up a joint venture to develop and manufacture high-performance lithium-ion batteries, a key technology for the increased use of electrical motors in drive systems. But these activities go far beyond the car: “In the Bosch Group, more than 40 percent of our research and development budget now goes into products that conserve resources and protect the environment. In 2007, this was roughly 1.5 billion euros,” Marks said.
