Summary:
- Leading AI companies announced the formation of the Shared AI License Foundation to promote the growth and development of foundation models.
- Participating companies grant non-exclusive licenses to patents covering AI foundation models.
- Efficient access to foundation model patents accelerates AI development and unlocks downstream breakthroughs.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new coalition of technology and innovation leaders has launched the Shared AI License Foundation (SAIL), the first organization dedicated to safeguarding AI innovation through a collaborative patent network. This initiative, led by founding board members Anthropic, Genentech (a member of the Roche Group), IBM, Meta, and Microsoft, and board observers eBay and TD Bank Group, creates a collaborative licensing zone for the development of AI foundation models. SAIL aims to efficiently facilitate AI patent rights for its members through shared access to key patents to accelerate the development of foundational AI technologies. Block and Figma have also joined as members.
As AI investment accelerates and technologies rapidly advance—spanning machine learning, natural language processing, agentic systems, computer vision, and beyond—the volume of worldwide AI-related patent filings has surged over 2000% in the last ten years1. The rise in patenting compounded by the complexity of the modern AI stack risks increasing costs and diverting resources away from research and development, creating hurdles to bringing innovation to the marketplace. The Foundation addresses this challenge by creating a shared patent commons that provides freedom of action for SAIL members to confidently invest in technologies that infuse AI models.
The economic implications are immense. Worldwide spending on AI is forecast to total $2.52 trillion in 2026, a 44% increase year-over-year, according to Gartner, Inc.2 Any market with this level of activity is going to produce tens of thousands of patents, dispersedly held by a multitude of owners. Inevitably, some assets will fall into the hands of assertion entities who will enforce them regardless of their commercial success or relevance to the target. The Foundation’s mission is to ensure that this investment is funneled into beneficial AI breakthroughs rather than being siphoned off by legal friction. SAIL member companies have themselves acquired and filed over 33,000 patent families since 2019 (including the most recent 5 years of complete data) and are now coming together to license their patents on AI foundational model technology non-exclusively, clearing the way for rapid AI development. This number is projected to grow as more members join.
From founding pioneers to downstream innovators, SAIL is committed to supporting a healthy AI ecosystem. By opening access to foundational patents, the organization helps ensure that the benefits of AI development are shared broadly, strengthening the full spectrum of organizations building and deploying AI technologies.
Jamster Capital, led by IP pioneer John Amster, has been engaged by the Board of Directors to run the day-to-day operations of the Foundation, including member outreach, governance, marketing / communications, licensing guidance and accounting.
About the SAIL Foundation
The SAIL Foundation is dedicated to creating an efficient licensing model for the rapidly evolving AI industry. Backed by leading innovators across multiple industries, SAIL is the first institution focused specifically on efficiently clearing patent rights to foundation model patents. Through collaborative patent licensing, SAIL enables the accelerated growth of innovations infusing AI models for its members. For more information about the SAIL Foundation, please visit http://www.sailfoundation.com or contact info@sailfoundation.com.
Media-Only Contact:
Linda Biel, info@sailfoundation.com
1 CIPHER analysis of worldwide machine learning patent filings
2 https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-1-15-gartner-says-worldwide-ai-spending-will-total-2-point-5-trillion-dollars-in-2026
