M·CAM Responds to Chatham House Report on “Low Carbon Future”

Date:  Fri, 2009-11-20

M·CAM Responds to Chatham House Report on “Low Carbon Future”

Charlottesville, VA – November 20, 2009 –– In August of 2009, Chatham House published a report entitled “Who Owns Our Low Carbon Future? Intellectual Property and Energy Technologies.” This report sought to examine two issues: patent ownership of climate–friendly technologies and the rate of technology diffusion across these technology areas. In the executive summary, the report insightfully notes that “Policy–makers managing the transition to a global low carbon economy will struggle when making the critical choices unless they have a clear understanding of the range of technological options available from different sectors within specific time horizons…” Unfortunately, this report neglects to consider one critical technology option available to policy makers – the vast quantities of climate–friendly technologies that either exist in the public domain or lack broad international patent protection.

While Chatham House has long analyzed environmental climate change initiatives they have, in the past, neglected to consider the patent implications of their own proposed solutions. On January 16, 2006, Chatham House held a meeting on the outcome of the UN climate chance negotiations in Montreal wherein they recommended global carbon credit trading schemes as a proactive solution to promote sustainable energy systems worldwide. Unfortunately, those recommended schemes also turn out to be patented worldwide until at least the year 2025. Following the course of action recommended by Chatham House could actually induce patent infringement.