In the current global coronavirus pandemic, some companies have given away their patents so that others can copy their inventions and manufacture life-saving equipment. Yet this isn’t a new phenomenon. Throughout history there are countless examples of firms that lifted the lid on game-changing innovations, from the automaker that shared its seat belt design to the pharmaceutical company that gave away patents for medicines in developing countries. Click or scroll through to see the companies that have made patents and trade secrets freely available and find out why.