Intellectual Property Strategy Required for Startups to Join a New Business Ecosystem: A Case Study of Tesla
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52731/lbds.003.120Keywords:
IP Strategy, Open-Source Patent, Business Ecosystem, Startup, InterfaceAbstract
This paper provides a case study of Tesla’s Intellectual Property (IP) strategy to clarify the effective IP strategy required for startups to join a new business ecosystem. It is not realistic for startups to file many patent applications comprehensively in each technology area because they lack sufficient funds and human resources to file patent applications. As a result of a case study of Tesla’s IP strategy, it was found that it would be effective to file patent applications for the interface to avoid contractual problems due to overlapping business areas with the transaction entity and to spread the core technology.
References
N. Hamaguchi, “Gasoline Phaseout and the Fate of the Future EV Market: Support Workers Displaced by Electrification,” RIETI Newspapers & Magazines, 2022; https://www.rieti.go.jp/en/papers/contribution/hamaguchi/07.html, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
IEA, “Global EV sales by scenario, 2020-2030,” 2022; https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/global-ev-sales-by-scenario-2020-2030, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
Y. Chena, S.D. Chowdhuryb, C. Donada, “Mirroring Hypothesis and Integrality: Evidence from Tesla Motors,” Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, Vol. 54, 2019, pp. 41-55.
D.J. Teece, “Tesla and the Reshaping of the Auto Industry,” Management and Organization Review, Vol. 14, No. 3, 2018, pp. 501-512.
G. Berdichevsky, K. Kelty, JB Straubel, E. Toomre, “The Tesla Roadster Battery System,” Stanford University, 2007; http://large.stanford.edu/publications/coal/references/docs/tesla.pdf, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
D. Siry, “Mythbusters Part 2: The Tesla Roadster is not a Converted Lotus Elise,” 2008; https://www.tesla.com/blog/mythbusters-part-2-tesla-roadster-not-converted-lotus-elise, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
Tesla, “Elon Musk,” https://www.tesla.com/elon-musk, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
Tesla, “Franz von Holzhausen Joins Tesla Motors as Chief Designer,” 2010; https://www.tesla.com/blog/franz-von-holzhausen-joins-tesla-motors-chief-designer, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
K. Noguchi, “Tesla earns 8 times more profit than Toyota per car,” Nikkei Asia, 2022; https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Automobiles/Tesla-earns-8-times-more-profit-than-Toyota-per-car, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
E. Musk, “All Our Patent Are Belong To You,” 2014; https://www.tesla.com/blog/all-our-patent-are-belong-you, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
M. Moritz, T. Redlich, P. Krenz, S. Buxbaum-Conradi, J.P. Wulfsberg, “Tesla Motors, Inc.: Pioneer towards a New Strategic Approach in the Automobile Industry along the Open Source Movement?,” Proceedings of PICMET '15, Management of the Technology Age, 2015, pp. 85-92.
S. Take, “China's BYD Starts EV Sales in Japan as It Chases Tesla” Nikkei Asia, 2023; https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Automobiles/China-s-BYD-starts-EV-sales-in-Japan-as-it-chases-Tesla, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
R. Irle, “Global EV Sales for 2022,” EV-Volumes.com; https://www.ev-volumes.com/, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
D. Leussink, M. Shiraki, “Toyota to Launch 10 New Battery EV Models by 2026,” Reuters, 2023; https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/toyota-launch-10-new-battery-ev-models-by-2026-cto-2023-04-07/, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
Tesla, “Definition of Key Terms,” https://www.tesla.com/legal/additional-resources#patent-pledge, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
Tesla, “Patent List,” https://www.tesla.com/legal/additional-resources#patent-list, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
Y. Park, I. Nakaoka, Y. Chen, “Positioning of R&D Strategies at Productive Frontier: The Case study on Cooperative Relationship between EV and Battery Makers,” Journal of Advances in Artificial Life Robotics, Vol. 2, No. 4, 2022, pp. 184-188.
MPEG LA, “EV Charging Essentiality Overview,” https://www.mpegla.com/programs/ev-charging/essentiality-overview/, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
Tesla, “Support Charging & Adapter Product Guides,” https://www.tesla.com/support/charging-product-guides, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
The Tesla Team, “Opening the North American Charging Standard,” 2022; https://www.tesla.com/blog/opening-north-american-charging-standard, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
MPEG LA, “EV Charging Licensors,” https://www.mpegla.com/programs/ev-charging/licensors/, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
MPEG LA, “EV Charging Patent List,” https://www.mpegla.com/programs/ev-charging/patent-list/, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
J.W. Lang, B. Reber, H. Aldori, “How Tesla Created Advantages in the EV Automotive Paradigm, through an Integrated Business Model of Value Capture and Value Creation,” BMIJ, Vol. 9, No.1, 2021, pp. 385-404.
EPO, IEA, “International Energy Agency, Innovation in batteries and electricity storage, A global analysis based on patent data Executive Summary,” 2020, pp. 3-8.
E. Enkel1, O. Gassmann, H. Chesbrough, “Open R&D and Open Innovation: Exploring the Phenomenon,” R&D Management, Vol. 39, No. 4, 2009, pp. 311-316.
S.J. Kontos, “Why Tesla’s Open Source Patent Strategy Reinforces the Importance of Patenting,” Startup Nation, 2021; https://startupnation.com/manage-your-business/teslas-open-source-patent-strategy/, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
D. Lee, “Inside Tesla's gigantic Gigafactory,” BBC News, 2016; https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36893104, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
E. Musk, Twitter; https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1417593502351826946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1417593502351826946%7Ctwgr%5E52a9938699666624ca00583a6f8065ae579de55f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftechcrunch.com%2F2021%2F07%2F20%2Felon-musk-tesla-to-open-up-global-charging-network-to-other-evs-later-this-year%2F, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).
S. Osaka, “Elon Musk agrees to open parts of Tesla’s charging network to everyone,” The Washington Post, 2023; https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/02/15/tesla-supercharger-network-locked/, (accessed 23.Apr. 2023).