Blockstream’s New Patent Strategy: Trust Us, We Won’t Sue You

Blockstream, which developed the blockchain technology and bitcoin, has announced a defensive patent strategy. The crux of it: assurance that users of its technology won’t be sued.

The 19 July announcement is available here.

“The two key elements we are announcing are our Patent Pledge and our modified version of the Innovator’s Patent Agreement,” it states.

“Our Patent Pledge assures developers and users of our technology that we will not sue them for patent infringement, provided they comply with the terms and conditions of our pledge, which essentially asks that they not be patent aggressors themselves. Our modified version of the Innovator’s Patent Agreement is a contract between Blockstream and our engineers that any patents they contribute to creating will be used only for defensive purposes.”