US operator AT&T signed up to a global initiative to make its patents available free of charge, in an effort designed to end the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and minimise the impact of the disease.

Dubbed the Open Covid Pledge, the initiative was launched in April by an international coalition of legal experts, scientists and technologists to encourage companies, universities and researchers to make their IP available free of charge to aid the fight against the health crisis.

By signing the pledge, companies ensure uncertainty around IP rights will not slow or impede urgently needed solutions in this critical time.

In a statement, AT&T said by joining the global collaboration, it has agreed to make patents it holds available via temporary, free-of-charge licences for use in the research, development and deployment of medical equipment, network products, software solutions and other technology.

Scott Frank, AT&T VP of IP, said the company generates roughly five patents every business day and “our research efforts have been at the forefront of some of the biggest innovations in modern history”.

“In this case, we’re proud to adopt a collaborative approach to share what we’ve learned with the broader research community that’s leading the fight against this virus,” he added.

AT&T joins a number of tech companies which have pledged support to the initiative, including Amazon, Intel, IBM, Facebook and Microsoft.