General Motors And Honda Joins Google Initiative 'License on Transfer (LOT)

Aug 10, 2016 10:25 AM EDT | Eve C.

General Motors and Honda joins the pool of members of Google Initiative "License on Transfer" or simply known as LOT. This is a Google-led patent alliance that aims to overthrow the so-called "patent trolls."

It appears that the automakers are making ties with tech companies that ensures the safety of their patent against the said trolls. But who are these so-called enemies of the tech titans?

According to Fortune, the trolls go with another name as "patent assertion entities." These bluffers are not here to produce any material but to threat the tech industry with lawsuits.

As a result, LOT was founded in 2014 which started as a Google Initiative. The organization encourages the biggest companies to undergo a mutual non-aggression pact. 

In layman's term, each of the members will pledge that none of their patents will ever be used by a patent troll to sue another member. So far, the Google-led alliance has 70 members as of writing.

Honda joined the network a few days ago while General Motors have joined last month. Last year, other car companies include including Hyundai, Ford, and even Uber joined as well.

"GM's involvement in LOT demonstrates a proactive commitment against becoming vulnerable to patent assertion entities that may detract from our ability to push innovation and better products forward," General Motors' chief intellectual property counselor Carlos Herrera told the website.

While Honda is yet to give its statement upon joining, Ford CEO Bill Coughlin was thankful to be one of the members of the Google Initiative network.

"We are proud to have paved the way for other automotive OEMs and suppliers to join the network and help keep auto-related patents out of the hands of those driven primarily by greed." 

Last year, Google renewed its fight against the patent trolls. as per Motherboard. Hence, the battle against the "patent assertion entities" continues.

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