Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Isuzu waive IP rights to help fight COVID-19

MANILA: In a massive collaboration never seen before, four Japanese automakers have come together and formed an alliance with the public and private sectors and the academe in order to lend relevant intellectual property (IP) for free to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Isuzu joined Kyoto University and 17 other companies in signing an accord declaring that none of their intellectual property rights will hinder or impede the development of a vaccine or cure, including the production of medical equipment, against the virus that’s ravaging both the global population and the economy.

The Office of the Open COVID-19 Declaration says on its website, “Therefore, we hereby declare, without seeking compensation, that we will not assert any patent, utility model, design or copyright during the time of this crisis, against any activities whose purpose is stopping the spread of COVID-19, including diagnosis, prevention, containment and treatment.”

Other companies who wish to join can do so by simply signing the COVID-19 Countermeasures Declaration, which is available in English and Japanese. It states that the declarer, from the date the document is signed until the World Health Organization announces that the outbreak is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, will give up claims over any and all of its patents, designs, and copyright.

While the contract does give researchers, scientists and people working in the frontline to find a cure or vaccine against COVID-19 plenty of latitude, it does stipulate that the declarer can impose certain limitations in the Attachment in order to keep whatever they deem highly confidential company information safe.

Partner companies make an urgent plea to their counterparts on the site, and even to scientists, lawyers, and private individuals to take the necessary steps in order to be part of the drive to stop the spread of the virus. They also stress the importance of not making intellectual property rights a hindrance and how claims can prolong the current situation and may even prevent or restrict the work done by the medical care system.

Aside from finding a cure or vaccine, the declaration also aims to speed up production of necessary medical equipment like protective gear and respirators.

Currently, all partners in the “IP Open Access Declaration Against COVID-19” are based in Japan but the invitation is not limited by region or country — neither is the non-exercise of intellectual property rights. The contract declares that the company’s IP will be free for use anywhere in the world as long as it aimed at supporting efforts against the pandemic.

As of writing, the project declarers are:

         Canon Inc. and Canon Medical Systems Corporation

         GenoConcierge Kyoto, Inc.

         Mitsui Knowledge Industry Co., Ltd.

         NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd.

         Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

         Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

         SRL, Inc.

         Chanel G.K.

         Hi-Think Corporation

         Teijin Limited

         Konica Minolta, Inc.

         Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

         LSI Medience Corporation

         Softbank Corporation

         Toyota Motor Corporation

         Yahoo Japan Corporation

         Isuzu Motors Limited

 

Also read: Toyota mobilizes massive global resources in fight vs. COVID-19