NSK Ltd. today announced that the company has signed the “Open COVID-19 Declaration” with a view to help bring a swift end to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). According to this declaration, NSK has pledged to make its intellectual property freely available for development, manufacturing and other activities central to stopping the spread of COVID-19.

Preventing the spread of COVID-19 requires the rapid development, manufacture and distribution of therapeutic drugs, vaccines, medical devices, and infection prevention products. The Open COVID-19 Declaration calls on intellectual property owners to make their patents, utility models, design patents and copyrights freely available in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Accomplishing this as swiftly as possible calls for a new kind of cooperation between industry, government and academia, that breaks the molds of traditional models.

NSK has signed the declaration without any restriction on the terms, agreeing to not assert intellectual property rights against any activities whose purpose is to stop COVID-19, including prevention, containment, and treatment. The company will not seek any form of compensation for the use of its intellectual property in such activities.

Under normal circumstances, the use of intellectual property involves a negotiation and licensing process, but the declaration nullifies this, thereby speeding the development and manufacture of countermeasures for COVID-19.

NSK continues to work with the declaration group and other companies to bring a swift end to the COVID-19 pandemic as part of our tireless efforts to support the healthy and sustainable development of society and communities around the world.