Patents in F1

[Inside Line]

what rules affect patents and intellectual property in f1?
are there any rules?
why don't teams seem to patent their designs and ideas?

i see designs and ideas grow from most of the teams but the other teams just copy them if they work.

why don't the teams protect their ideas?

peace

Pip

[johny]

don't know exactly if there's something about patents, i think not. some improvements are so specific or so basics for best performance that it sould be crazy to patent them,i.e. what if some team patented TC? he'll recive money from other ones?, that's a bit silly. And updates in cars are not the same in different teams, they implement them using their "style". Protecting that ideas the only thing that could happen is going backwards in racing investigation

[riff_raff]

Patents in the U.S. can be seen here each week. For example, here's a recent one from Renault Sport (the F1 guys)

[Scuderia_Russ]

There was something about this in Racecar Engineering recently.

[scarbs]

The problem with Patents is that the need to post full technical details, hence even if the solution is patented how it work could be re-interpreted into a new design by a rival. Likewise what's the point of a patent if you cant see if a competitor is using your solution with the engine or gearbox? Patents needs to be unique enough to register and this takes some time. with the compressed lifecycles in F1 today this is counter productive.
Some teams and engine suppliers have patented some stuff; Renault do a lot of engine and Michelin suspension patents, Other teams have a few pieces like a gearbox\clutch for one team.

Racecar engineering did expose a few things from patents (because that was me writing them)

Scarbs...

[McLaren.F1]

Patent facts that don't apply to F1.

One must disclose and support a unique idea with prior art.
A patent is a piece of paper. By the time the team with the patent discoverd the use, begins a lawer game.
Once a ROI (record of invention) is submited it take yearss to get the patent. F1 deveopes in weeks.

Simply applying a new material to a design will not get a patent. The general function in leagel scens is set for an F1 car.