What is a patent pool?

Patent pool is a patent licensing trading platform composed of patentees. On the platform, the patentee licenses horizontally, and sometimes opens horizontal and vertical licenses to third parties under unified licensing conditions. The licensing rate is determined by the patentee. There are still patent licensing problems among patentees on the "patent pool" (joint licensing) platform.

The most important function of patent pool is to eliminate the obstacles of authorization in patent implementation, which is conducive to the popularization and application of patented technology; Another important function of patent pool is that it can significantly reduce the transaction cost in patent licensing.

The management of patent pool is standard pricing and the key link of industrial alliance. It not only affects the interests of alliance members, but also affects the end users, which directly determines the development of standards.

On the other hand, patent pool is similar to monopoly, which is also criticized by many people.