A fully electric car that recharges in the sun or plugged into a standard socket. The Lightyear One is the car of the future, so we have to handle the technologies that make this happen with due care. However, for a start-up company, good patent protection is not something that is obvious. That is why EP&C is a proud sponsor of Lightyear.
We are helping this start-up Dutch company protect their technologies in the best possible way and also to identify the intellectual property rights of others. By doing so, we contribute to a more sustainable future for them with the help of our expertise.
Most electric cars depend on large batteries and special charging stations. A few years ago, a group of students at Eindhoven University of Technology wondered whether this could be done differently. Now there is the Lightyear One, the first finished model, which leaves the current generation of electric cars far behind in terms of range and innovation. TIME Magazine chose it as one of the hundred best inventions of 2019.
Top quality innovations deserve top quality patent protection. This is not always feasible for a start-up organisation. New entrants, especially in the automotive market, often lack the experience and financial clout of their larger competitors. Because we believe in Lightyear's ideas, we decided to help them protect all of their intellectual property rights. After all, establishing Intellectual Property Rights and a good insight into the rights of others are crucial for future success, especially at this stage.
We try to make patent applications and other forms of protection just as innovative as the actual technologies themselves. So that we do not get bogged down with the limitations that exist but come up with solutions that work for everyone.
Smart Intellectual Property protection starts long before the first application is filed. How do you set up the organisation in such a way that innovative solutions are identified and reach those who are dealing with protection? How do you assess your ideas and make a responsible choice about exactly which rights you lay down? How do you usefully arrange your protection for that smart invention in itself and also looking at the big picture?
We will keep working on this together with Lightyear. And of course we will not lose sight of the rights of Lightyear's competitors.
EP&C is proud IP partner of Lightyear
Always charging in the sun.
Longest range. Most sustainable.
EP&C is about innovation and innovation is about the future. But without a critical look at the present, a healthy future is not guaranteed. Where possible, we therefore like to go the extra mile for sustainable initiatives, such as electric cars by Lightyear, the new generation of meat substitutes by RivalFoods and the bicycle conversion kit by social firm Tworby.
The better we care for people and the environment now, the longer we can continue doing what we love: working with progressive entrepreneurs.
Dutch & European Patent Attorney
Dutch & European Patent Attorney, Partner
