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Based on a recent announcement Google will fight patent trolls by giving away patents for startups. The initiative has been developed under the official name of Google Patent Starter Program and fifty young companies have already been selected to receive patents, based on the conditions of the respective program.
Google has become a company that is big enough to lend a helping hand to smaller enterprises that want to make it big in the domain. For that matter, the web developer has developed a new program designated the Patent Starter Program which gives young companies the possibility to select their patents from a limited number offered by the search giant.
Based on the company’s official declaration, the startups will have the possibility to choose between two patent families from a list of five patents, based on their domain of activity. The search giant hopes the new move will attract young enterprises to LOT Network, an initiative that protects its members from any patent troll litigations.
Many established companies have already entered the Lot Network, as Google has stated. Among the members of the initiative are Dropbox, GitHub, Mazda, Canon and Uber. Thanks to this program the said companies have received a license that safeguards them against any cases of patent theft.
Companies, which would like to take part in the patent program won’t have to pay for membership fees as Google has conceived many offers for the new members of the initiative. The only condition that the search giant has imposed is that startups would have to have a yearly revenue between $500,000 and $20 million in 2014. In addition, Google would like new members to be pacifists, for that matter, they have taken all the legal measures to exclude members, who start aggressive actions.
Google has explained that their new program does not intend to give startups the backup they need to sue other companies. Startups can only use the acquired assets to defend themselves against such legal cases; otherwise, they would have to pay a material penalty to Google.
Image source: www.esbtrib.com
