SpaceX does not file patents. [1] The assumption is that the protection offered by the patent is outweighed by the downside of giving your competitor a roadmap

SpaceX does not file patents. [1] The assumption is that the protection offered by the patent is outweighed by the downside of giving your competitor a roadmap of how you did it. My guess is that just knowing it can be done will be a huge part of enabling someone else to develop similar technology. [1] http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-patents-2012-11 http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-patents-2012-11