Patents To Save The Planet

Suz Mac Cormac, Rufus Pichler, and Otis Littlefield argue that patent licensing is a potentially powerful tool to address climate change in an article authored for Intellectual Property Magazine.

"Increasingly, companies with green technology are also focused on monetizing environmental benefits," the authors wrote. "But monetizing a patent portfolio doesn't have to be the only goal. All kinds of companies can use licensing agreements to encourage behaviors they value. And one of those values could be promoting the environment. Through creative drafting and strategic enforcement, companies can ensure that their technology is used to help the environment, or at least not degrade it."