The level of response to Tesla’s announcement that it would ‘free up’ key patents related to electric car charging indicated the need for a new approach to IPR in the evolving IoT (internet of things) market. Or at least, a different approach from that of the mobile industry, whose secretive bilateral agreements add significantly to the cost of a device, and open the door to patent trolls and destructive litigation. Everyone agrees that the IoT needs to avoid those practices in order to encourage innovation and drive down prices. The recent truce between Apple and Samsung, ending one of their US legal battles, may even be seen as a tentative first step to clear the decks and start with a…