Daymond John, CEO of FUBU and professional shark, reckons Elon Musk is making a ‘gangsta move’ with Tesla and SpaceX.
The Shark Tank investor, 53, was featured on Friday’s episode of TMZ Live where he weighed in on Musk’s lax rules around patents for his Tesla and SpaceX progressions.
Daymond began by explaining that applying for patents can delay companies from getting their products out on the market, which could be a potential reason why Musk hasn’t shown the desire to patent his developments.
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“Elon is so gangsta with this,” the American businessman stated. “The bottom line is, what he’s saying is speed kills. Patents are great but you’ve gotta get product out there and get it out the right way.
“He’s not afraid of anybody who wants to knock it off, and it’s not only public relations that he’s getting out of this, he’s speaking the truth.”
Daymond then continued to explain the wording on the Tesla site regarding their patent pledge, which reads: “On June 12, 2014, Tesla announced that it will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use its technology.
“Tesla was created to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport, and this policy is intended to encourage the advancement of a common, rapidly-evolving platform for electric vehicles, thereby benefiting Tesla, other companies making electric vehicles, and the world.”
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Daymond interpreted this policy as a positive that allows others to ‘take the technology if you’re going to advance anything in science’.
UNILAD has contacted a representative of Elon Musk for comment.
The Shark Group founder’s opinions come as Musk recently appeared on Jay Leno’s Garage on CNBC, where he stated that ‘patents are for the weak’.
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The presenter asked Musk whether he patents any of his technology at SpaceX, to which Musk responded: “No, we don’t really patent things. Patents are for the weak.
“The problem is, patents are generally used as a blocking technique, they’re like using landmines in warfare. They don’t actually help advance things, they just stop others from following you.”
He concluded: “Most patents are bs.”
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However, Daymond could still see the need for patents in some circumstances.
The business guru said: “For the everyday person that has something great that they don’t want [to be] stolen, a patent is good.
“But for somebody like him who has all the money in the world,” he instead offered, “He’s like ‘take it all. I’m gonna be so far ahead of you when you catch up, I’m gonna be onto something else'.”
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Topics: Elon Musk, Science, Technology, Money
Gabriella Ferlita