termshare

Termshare is a patent-pooling antitrust settlement used in the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificate industry. It was created in 2007 by Warner Bros. and other related companies who held related patents.

After acquiring the rights to the patents, VeriSign, a leading provider of digital certificates, took a 49.85% stake in the entity. In 2011, VeriSign increased its stake to 95.63%. VeriSign also extended its patent license agreement with Termshare. The deal acted as a way to neutralize antitrust actions previously taken against VeriSign.

The Termshare patent pool attempts to specify the patent protections that apply to companies dealing with digital certificates that use SSL/TLS protocols. Termshare specifically targets securities firms, companies dealing in e-commerce, and other organizations that protect and encrypt online communications and data. It enables parties to get software technology required for safely managing online exchanges or communicating with online clients.

Patent pools usually help avoid expensive lawsuits between proposal claimants. With patent pooling, royalties are set on the use of patented technology according to autonomous administration. These sums are then used by patente holders for their profit thereby stopping accrual pattern objections. General assertions about the term are usually based on lawyer and patent expertise views for description.