IBM grants free access to patent portfolios in fight against Covid-19, etc.

IBM has recently allowed free access to IBM's 80K+ patent portfolios. It invites new patents filed through 2023 to technology, that will help diagnose, prevent and contain Covid-19 and other diseases.

Gargi Dasgupta, director, IBM Research India and CTO IBM India/South Asia, noted that IBM is pledging its entire global patent portfolio, which is comprised of more than 80,000 patents and patent applications, specifically, patent assets we feel are most relevant in the fight against Covid-19.

"Our pledge covers thousands of IBM AI patents, including Watson technology patents, as well as dozens of active U.S. patents in the general area of biological viruses. One such patent describes anti-viral agents and methods of treatment using these agents."

The anti-viral agents include cationic polyamines active against a broad spectrum of viruses, including Dengue, H1N1, SARS, influenza and coronaviruses. Other relevant patents, for example, describe a touchscreen that uses ultraviolet light for pathogen mitigation and algorithms for predicting the time and range of events, including epidemics.

She said: "Our hope is that, in making our technology more widely available, we can provide valuable tools that innovators worldwide can use to help stop the spread of Covid-19 and better prepare us to meet any similar challenges we may face in the future. So, the access to our patents is available to researchers, scientists, technologists and others working to diagnose, prevent, contain, and treat a novel coronavirus.

But, what if someone develops a patent, and then chooses not to patent it? She added that there is no obligation on the part of third parties who will practice our patented inventions under the pledge to report to us. Also, the pledge does not allow others to monetize our patents. If an invention is not patented, anyone is free to use the invention. IBM makes many inventions that we choose not to patent for a variety of reasons.