Sharing knowledge and technology is one major way that business can help to protect the environment, says George Weyerhaeuser. He explains why IBM and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development joined forces to establish the Eco-Patent Commons

What does a technique for reducing the risk of contamination from mercury spillage have in common with a method of generating ozone in a treatment chamber? They are just two of the 30 patents that have been donated to the Eco-Patent Commons by IBM, Nokia, Pitney Bowes and Sony since January 2008; their shared intention to pledge patents with environmental benefits so as to promote collaboration and innovation, and to help others to become more ecoefficient and environmentally sustainable.

‘We’ve seen technology jump to the top of the climate agenda in recent years,’ says George Weyerhaeuser, formerly senior vice-president at Weyerhaeuser Company and currently senior fellow at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). ‘And rightly so. Most industries have a traditional view of patents as defensive rights, but increasingly companies are working together to share innovations and to develop joint solutions to common environmental problems. The Eco-Patent Commons grew out of a desire to promote the flow of technology around the world as a force for change.’

Leading by example
It was IBM’s Global Innovation Outlook work group, which first proposed the idea of pooling eco-friendly patents for industry use. ‘Each work group brings together hundreds of the world’s thought leaders from business, politics, academia and not-for-profits to discuss how open, collaborative innovation models can help businesses face social challenges,’ explains George. ‘Two years ago they invited the views of Björn Stigson, president of the WBCSD. The Commons resulted from follow-up conversations about open collaboration approaches to environmental IP.’

‘The Eco-Patent Commons provides a unique and significant leadership opportunity for business to make a difference – sharing their innovations and solutions in support of sustainable development,’ said Björn at the launch of the Commons in January 2008. ‘It also provides an opportunity for companies and other entities to identify areas of common interest and to establish new relationships that can lead to further development in the patented technologies and elsewhere.’ Since this launch, the Commons has already unleashed dozens of innovative, environmentally responsible patents into the public domain and more businesses are due to join soon.

The rules are simple. Pledged patents must relate to innovations that provide environmental benefits. These may be a direct purpose of the patents, such as a technology to accelerate groundwater remediation, but could also be less direct, as in manufacturing or business processes that lead to a reduction in hazardous waste generation or energy consumption. Examples of the environmental benefits expected for pledged patents include: energy conservation or improved energy or fuel efficiency; pollution prevention (source reduction or waste reduction); use of environmentally preferable materials or substances; water or materials use reduction and increased recycling opportunity (see below right).

Looking forward
‘We want to expand the Commons to make it more attractive to industries that have traditionally viewed patents from a defensive standpoint,’ says George. ‘We recognise that some patents that provide environmental benefits may represent much of a company’s competitive edge, but asking an enterprise to relinquish such key assets is not the objective of the Commons. Rather, we are asking them to provide for industry use those patents that provide environmental benefit, but do not represent an essential source of business advantage for them, or which will support their future by improving the state of the industry in which they work.’

‘Sharing environmental patents can help others become more eco-efficient and operate in a more environmentally sustainable manner – enabling technology innovation to meet social innovation.’
-George Weyerhaeuser

George gives as an example the innovations that Weyerhaeuser Company produced in the field of forest management. ‘We regularly chose not to patent such innovations,’ he explains. ‘That might seem to suggest that we lost out on critical market share or competitive edge, but actually our view was that as important as these ideas were for us, they were as important for the industry as a whole. We didn’t want to exclude others from what was best practice in the field, so we published our findings to ensure our future freedom to operate, but we also allowed the entire industry to benefit from them. We found that what is best for the industry and the environment is ultimately best for us, too.’

Indeed, as George is quick to point out, the sharing of resources and innovation is a fundamental catalyst for change. ‘As has been demonstrated by the open-source software community, the free sharing of knowledge can provide a fertile ground for new collaboration and innovation,’ he says. ‘Sharing environmental patents can help others become more eco-efficient and operate in a more environmentally sustainable manner – enabling technology innovation to meet social innovation.’ It’s also about giving something back: ‘After all, what’s the point of technology if it doesn’t exist to help mankind advance?’ he concludes. ‘I can’t see any more important a target for assistance than the environment itself.’


THE COMMONS

The patents that have been pledged to the Commons are available on its website for free download and use (see www.wbcsd.org). Which patents a business wishes to offer the Commons is left to the discretion of each business. At present, IBM has pledged the majority of the patent pool, but as new members join, the number and variety of patents on offer will expand in scope. Already three more brand leaders are due to sign up.

‘Environmental issues have great potential to help us discover the next wave of innovation because they force us all to think differently about how we make, consume and recycle products,’ said Donal O’Connell, director of IP Rights at Nokia. Nokia has pledged a number of patents, including this one related to recycling mobile phones:


Systems and methods for recycling of cell phones at the end of life
Patent Number: 7251458
Country: United States
Assignee: Nokia
IPC #: H04B

Abstract: ‘The present invention provides systems and methods for transforming cell phones at end of life into new electronic devices, such as clocks, calculators, PDAs, remote controls, etc. Importantly, the systems and methods of the present invention salvage many of the features and electronics of the cell phone that are not associated with the placement and reception of telephone calls. The electronics of the cell phone are repackaged and/or configured to hide the telecommunications options associated with the phone, leaving intact or upgrading other features of the phone, such as clock, calculator, storage device, etc. In doing so, all or most of the components of the cell phone can be successfully recycled, as opposed to conventional methods that scavenge the phones for precious metals and reusable components.’


This article first appeared in IP Review, issue 23

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