Yeah, the “let no one else use it” portion of my comment is what i meant when you say “patent owners are generally more than happy to license their tech”

I hope ford doesn’t.

And yes while patents dont grant exclusivity it gives a company the option to try and argue that a competitors version isnt novel enough. In the USA, where ford is from, patent law screwery is abounds if you have enough money. Of which Ford is backed by the US government.

Im not here to point out whether or not the patent is the issue. The problem is the spying and selling of personal data. If ford proceeds in a way that limits that exposure to the rest of car manufacturers then fantastic, even if its only in a nominal way.

I do still appreciate your refresher on how patents work though! Hope the rest of your day goes well.