Do racing teams patent their inventions?

[g-force_addict]

To patent or not to patent that is the question.
Lots of pros and cons

- Patenting costs time and money. Although these may be handled by the 'consumer' division of larger automakers who already have a patent dept and its lawyers.
- Patenting may give the motorsport director a rise or he may keep his job by being transferred to the consumer cars division if the motorsport division gets closed down. Specially true if patents may be applied to road cars.
- Patents take a long time to be issued. Although clever attorneys may threaten competition from using their patent pending design.
- Patent applications may actually give away the previously kept secret designs. Although they can use shell companies. Even so it can give new ideas for designers to circumvent the patent by modifying the design.
- Regulators may choose to ban a patented technology to even the playing field.
- For hidden parts like engine internals, they just can not know if other teams are violating their patents knowingly or not.

So Do they bother patenting?

[xpensive]

I think the patent-system as such only applies to the commercialization of a product, to which at least F1 does not belong.

Moreover, to be granted an international patent can be a lengthy process and just using "patent pend" will not take you far.

[ESPImperium]

Generally a patent is a 2 year process. Short answer is that no, F1 teams don't patent 85% of their designs as they are so readily copied.

However, certain parts that can, like McLaren with the ECU and the Marussia designed and Red Bull built side impact structures are patented.

[riff_raff]

I can't see the value for an F1 team pursuing patents on most of the IP they produce. Very little of the IP would have any real commercial value, and the cost of pursuing an international patent can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Another problem is that any new IP would need to be covered by a patent application before it could be disclosed in the public domain, such as during a race.

[Facts Only]

They generally don't bother patenting, they do fiercely protect their IP though and just because something isn't patented doesn't mean it not protected.

[Just_a_fan]

The obvious one is Williams' flywheel KERS system. I think that would be patented as it's been marketed to others (notably Porsche). I think the bit of Williams that made it has itself been sold to GKN.

[marcush.]

They generally don't bother patenting, they do fiercely protect their IP though and just because something isn't patented doesn't mean it not protected.

It simply is not going to work -that´s the point.
Formula 1 is a quickly moving enterprise and patent claims are slow .Things that come up your mind need to be put into action to make you stay ahead or gain competitiveness -your line of thought is NOT protecting what you know BUT developing quicker than the others.

Mind you this is a small world of say 10 teams with 20 key people actually capable of inventing something worth protecting so its 200brains in total ....those who know a bit too much or you would fear to see on competitors payrolls you put on gardening leave so their knowledge is at least not completely transferable anymore as knowledge has spread anyways in that time..

If you have actual proof of IP breaches this is enforceable..Toyota is an example -they had IP of ferrari on their cars and were fined for it if i rmember correctly.

In other cases no action was taken -Rial for example had basically a Cosworth engined Ferrari F187 designed by Brunnner and his draughtsman Frison in 1988 .As i understand Rial worked from actual Ferrari drawings as there was no time and workforce to produce drawings with RIAL Drawing frame .

[xpensive]

[FrukostScones]

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/01/p ... explained/

http://www.google.com/patents/EP2528757A1?cl=en

[riff_raff]

They generally don't bother patenting, they do fiercely protect their IP though and just because something isn't patented doesn't mean it not protected.

That's a valid point. Most teams likely require their employees to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), IP rights agreements, and no-compete agreements. However, these agreements don't prevent someone else from using the IP if it has not been made public and they developed it independently.

[xpensive]

Again, a patent means protection against commercialization by another party, I doubt if it would be very useful in F1 anyways.

[OO7]

Is F1 known to pay or to have payed royalties (or other forms of compensation) for the use of any patents?

[riff_raff]

I don't recall any F1 teams ever paying a royalty or fee specifically to use someone else's IP. It usually works the other way round. F1 teams are provided proprietary technologies like software, materials, electronics, machinery, etc in return for publicity and exposure.

Likely, there is not much value provided by a race team pursuing patents on the IP they develop. They have better ways to use their budgets. F1 teams do occasionally patent some of the IP they produce, but it does not happen often.

[OO7]

Thanks. I guess the fact that they generally don't sell their racing technologies (I understand the Williams' Hybrid KERS was sold), also plays a part.

[scarbs]

Have a search of the patent websites. Williams, Renault sport, Ilmor, jordan and the inerter all have patents.