Standards in Automotive Sector: Impact of Patents on its Development

With the increased awareness and focus on safety systems in the automotive domain, it is imperative for regulatory authorities to not only bring in the latest technologies but also ensure reachability and affordability for all. However, the patents related to the latest safety features concentrate in the hands of a few technology leaders, thus rendering the technology access costly and scarce. In such a scenario, adapting principles of SEPs and their permit of use in FRAND conditions as in the telecom domain would create a symbiotic relationship between the technology producers and end-users. The first part of this paper deals with studying the relevant patent filing activities to sensitize the innovation happing in the field of automotive engineering in general and automotive safety in particular. The second part focuses on standards and its establishment process in India and its global context in terms of harmonization. The third part deals with the gap in the operation of Indian Standard establishing authorities and the Indian Patent system. This paper concludes by arguing that it is essential to adopt a cross-functional team to horizontally utilize the best of learnings of the telecom domain in terms of licensing SEPs under FRAND terms.