SawStop Offers its Patent

SawStop announced it will dedicate its patent to the public if a proposed rule regarding table saw safety becomes effective.

“Today, in response to proposed rulemaking regarding table saw safety by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SawStop committed to dedicate U.S. Patent 9,724,840 to the public upon the rule’s effective date,” the saw manufacturer said in a Feb. 28 post. “The intent of the proposed rule is to prevent the thousands of amputations and hospitalizations that will continue to occur without industry-wide action.”

“We work to protect and inspire all woodworkers, from novice hobbyists to professional craftspeople. Opponents of the proposed rulemaking have identified this patent as their key obstacle to offering safer saws,” said Matt Howard, CEO of SawStop. “We invest heavily in safety innovation, and our patents have real value. Even so, we will not allow this patent to be an obstacle to a safer future. To that end, SawStop is prepared to dedicate this ‘840 patent to the public upon the effective date of a rule requiring active injury mitigation technology on all table saws. Although such a rule is likely many years away from an effective date, we at SawStop are determined to seek a win-win balance between our mission and our business responsibilities.”