Intellectual Properties
Tesla’s success can be attributed largely to its technology. It has allowed the
company to gain competitive advantage over its rivals. By taking advantage of intellectual
property laws, Tesla is able to protect its technological inventions, designs, and processes
– all of which have contributed to the achievement of its goals.
Patents
Currently, Tesla owns over 360 patents registered in the United States Patent and
Trademark Office. It is a wide portfolio, with inventions ranging from hardware such as
fast charging batteries and vehicle doors, to processes like robotic processing system
and methods for application of battery packs.
On June 12, 2014, Musk released a statement, announcing that Tesla’s patents
are now open-source, proclaiming that the company “will not initiate a lawsuit against any
party for infringing a Tesla Patent through activity relating to electric vehicles or related
equipment for so long as such party is acting in good faith.” Additional details were further
explained in the company’s Patent Pledge which echoes the CEO’s announcement. Musk
expressed his hopes that Tesla’s inventions would motivate more engineers and
accelerate the advent of sustainable transport.
Trademarks
Tesla Motors currently holds around 56 trademarks. The trademarks were filed for
various symbols and logos unique to the brand. Some of them include the T logo, the
name Tesla, and the logos for Models X, S, and 3.
Tesla was not always called Tesla. In fact, it was almost named Faraday. By
around 2004, the Tesla Motors name was already trademarked in 1994 by a man named
Brad Siewart. In order to secure the trademark for the name, Tesla had to pay Siewart
$75,000.
In July 2014, in the midst of Musk’s expansion to China, he encountered an issue
with a Chinese businessman regarding the trademark for Tesla Motors. Zhan Baosheng
had already registered the “Tesla” trademark before the company came to China.
Consequently, Zhan filed a lawsuit against Tesla, but an understanding was eventually
reached.
Copyrights
The exact number of copyrights Tesla possesses is currently difficult to pin-point.
However, one Tesla product that enjoys copyright protection is the Premium Connectivity
services offered to many Tesla owners. The service is available through subscription and
allows users to access all connectivity features for a more intuitive and engaging
ownership experience. The copyright on the service protects it from commercial use and
resale.
References:
Cuthbertson, A. (2019, December 2). Elon Musk Reveals Bizarre Tactic Used To Get
Tesla Trademark. Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-andtech/news/elon-musk-tesla-trademark-faraday-a9229746.html
Justia. (n.d.) Tesla Motors Profile. https://companyprofiles.justia.com/company/teslamotors
Musk, Elon. (2014, June 12). All Our Patent Are Belong To You. TESLA.
https://www.tesla.com/blog/all-our-patent-are-belong-you
Shen, S. & Shirouzu, N. (2014, August 6). Tesla resolves trademark dispute in China.
Reuters.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-motors-china-
idUSKBN0G606420140806
Tesla. (n.d.). Tesla Website. https://www.tesla.com/about