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Ford fights back against patent trolls

Some people are just awful. Some organizations are just as awful. And when those people join those organizations, we get stories like this one, where Ford has spent the past several years combatting so-called patent trolls. According to Automotive News, these malicious organizations have filed over a dozen lawsuits against the company since 2012. They work by purchasing patents, only to later accuse companies of misusing intellectual property, despite the fact that the so-called patent assertion companies never actually, you know, do anything with said intellectual property. AN reports that both Hyundai and Toyota have been victimized by these companies, with the former forced to pay $11.5 million to a company called Clear With Computers. Toyota, meanwhile, settled with Paice LLC, over its hybrid tech. The world's largest automaker agreed to pay $5 million, on top of $98 for every hybrid it sold (if the terms of the deal included each of the roughly 1.5 million hybrids Toyota sold since 2000, the company would have owed $147 million). Including the previous couple of examples, AN reports 107 suits were filed against automakers last year alone. But Ford is taking action to prevent further troubles... kind of. The company has signed on with a firm called RPX, in what sounds strangely like a protection racket. Automakers like Ford pay RPX around $1.5 million each year for access to its catalog of patents, which it spent nearly $1 billion building. "We take the protection and licensing of patented innovations very seriously," Ford told AN via email. "And as many smart businesses are doing, we are taking proactive steps to protect against those seeking patent infringement litigation." What are your thoughts on this? Should this patent business be better managed? Is it reasonable that companies purchase patents only to file suit against the companies that build actual products? Have your say in Comments.

The world's first fuel cell car sharing program launches in Germany

As EVs become increasingly mainstream, they seem to have found a natural home in carsharing services. BlueIndy has left its mark on Indianapolis, Ford has been testing its own EV sharing programs, Japan and China have seen their share of programs pop up, electric carsharing is helping low-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and more models continue to emerge. On the flip side, Car2go made news recently when it pulled EVs from its fleet in San Diego. Absent from the carsharing scene, though, have been hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. But even that is changing. In Munich, Germany, industrial gases company (think hydrogen) Linde has launched BeeZero, a carsharing service comprised completely of fuel cell vehicles. The fleet is made up of Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell crossovers (called the ix35 Fuel Cell in Europe). It's the first hydrogen-powered carsharing service in the world, and Bavaria just happens to be a hub for hydrogen research and technology. Beezero, a new subsidiary of Linde, begins public service this summer with a fleet of 50 Tucson Fuel Cells. It offers users on-demand access to zero-emissions driving, but without the range limitations of battery electric vehicles. These H2-powered Hyundais can travel over 370 miles on a single tank, offering more flexibility to travel to the surrounding areas. If users want to visit the nearby lakes or mountains, they'll also have room to cart their gear with them. Drivers will be able to reserve a car online or through a smartphone app, and vehicles will be available in various zones in and around the city of Munich. As for the hydrogen used to fuel the fleet, Linde creates it from sustainable sources, promising carbon-neutral voyages. While the public gets access to hydrogen-powered mobility, Linde gets to learn from the experience. "We expect to gain valuable information from day-to-day fleet operations which we will use to further develop our hydrogen technologies and to help expand the hydrogen infrastructure," says Linde Executive Board member Dr. Christian Bruch. "BeeZero synergises two mobility trends that are gaining a lot of ground at the moment – car sharing and zero emissions – and will bring the benefits of fuel cell technology to a wider group of potential users." Read more in the press release below.

Autoblog Minute: Toyota factories closed after explosions in China

Fallout from explosions at the port city of Tianjin halt Toyota production in two of its nearby Chinese factories. Autoblog's Adam Morath reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Fallout from explosions at the port of Tianjin halt Toyota production in two of its Northern Chinese plants. I'm Adam Morath and this is your Autoblog Minute. Two of Toyota's plants are closed following the deadly explosions that hit the busy port city of Tianjin, China. The Associated Press reports over 100 people dead, hundreds injured and many still missing. According to the Japanese automaker 50 Toyota employees were injured in last weeks [00:00:30] event and they plan to shut down production in their Chinese plants until Wednesday. Various automakers were also affected, including Renault and Hyundai who claim a significant loss of vehicles. As the Chinese government works to investigate the cause and fallout of this tragedy our thoughts are with the victims and their families. For Autoblog, I'm Adam Morath. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals.