Listen to this articleOpen Invention Network was founded in 2005, to protect and promote open source software (OSS) from patent threats. Its efforts have shielded the open source community from patent aggression, enabling open source to flourish. OIN has announced a significant evolution of its model. As it transitions, it is expanding its support from a small, core group of funding members, to a community-driven funding model based on subscriptions. OIN 2.0 will continue to provide free participation to small businesses and individuals, while medium-sized companies and large enterprises will support OIN’s future growth through a tiered annual participation fee based on revenue.
Open Invention Network has built the largest active patent cross license in history, with more than 4,000 members that collectively hold more than three million patents and generate over $10 trillion in annual revenue. OIN 2.0 expands upon this legacy of clearing patent risk in open source at scale by offering community members continuously updated patent protection, while enabling it to address a broader spectrum of technologies and strengthening its model for the future. More than 100 companies have already joined the OIN 2.0 community – including Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft and Toyota, among many others.
“OIN 2.0 is a continuation of OIN’s long standing commitment to protect OSS from patent threats, modified to reflect today’s realities. Open source technologies have grown exponentially beyond Linux, into new and exciting sectors, and clearly beyond what was originally envisioned in the early 2000s when OIN was created. OIN 2.0 marks a transition and provides an opportunity for all who benefit from open source to contribute to OIN’s ongoing patent protection,” said Keith Bergelt, CEO of Open Invention Network. “OIN 2.0 fees will provide for OIN to update the scope of its patent protection coverage as OSS expands in the future, grow OIN’s network of participants to increase the breadth of its community, monitor patent threats to OSS, and support community members under patent threat in OSS with defensive strategies. The participation fee is structured so that large enterprises contribute more, medium-sized companies pay less, and small organizations remain free.”
Expansion of Protection from Patent Aggression
In parallel with the launch of OIN 2.0 today, OIN has released Linux System Table 13, the first update to its patent protection coverage offered under the OIN 2.0 program. It covers more than 650 new open source software packages, including smart technologies, security, networking, data centers and automotive. It increases coverage for cloud computing, including for Kubernetes and Eclipse, and expands coverage for modern languages like Pythion that heavily used in AI development.
OIN & OIN 2.0 Patent Protection Coverage
Current OIN community members will continue to receive, free of charge, the protection provided by the first twelve Tables of software packages covered by the Linux System definition. To gain the expanded protection of Linux System Table 13 and future table expansions, current members must opt into OIN 2.0 by signing the OIN 2.0 license agreement. New organizations joining OIN will do so under the OIN 2.0 license agreement and gain access to both the historical coverage and new OIN 2.0 protections.
“When Open Invention Network was formed, open source software was only just being considered for use by major corporations and governments. Today it is vital to the global economy,” said Justin Colannino, Assistant General Counsel of Open Source, Standards and Open ML at Microsoft. “We are pleased to support OIN’s continued activities in clearing patent risk in open source as it expands into new technologies. This shift will help the open source community build upon its remarkable track record of innovation.”
“By modernizing its legal framework to address evolving licensing models and emerging technologies, OIN 2.0 ensures the community can continue to innovate freely, without fear of patent ambush,” said Sean Ke, Patent Legal Director at Alibaba Group. “In an era of increasing IP uncertainty, OIN remains the cornerstone of patent non-aggression in open source.”
“At Amazon, open source drives innovation and enables us to serve our customers better. OIN provides important defenses against patent aggression, helping to keep open source truly open and accessible to all,” said Stormy Peters, Head of Open Source Strategy & Marketing at Amazon Web Services. “We are proud to support their mission as it expands protection to the emerging technologies that are shaping the future of computing.”
“Canonical has been an Associate Member of the Open Invention Network since 2010, and in that time, we’ve watched OIN evolve into a community of more than 4,000 members committed to safeguarding open source. OIN has helped protect OSS from patent aggression, curb the influence of NPEs, and unlock the corporate investment that continues to reshape the technology landscape,” said Mark Shuttleworth, CEO of Canonical. “We’re proud to join OIN 2.0. As we look ahead, the protection and confidence OIN brings to the open source community are more essential than ever.”
“The unparalleled success of open source has created a shared responsibility to ensure its future. OIN 2.0 represents a necessary evolution in how we collectively steward this resource. By transitioning to a shared, community-driven funding model, we ensure that OIN remains sustainable, robust, and capable of protecting the open source commons,” commented, Michael Lee, the Director, Head of Patents at Google.
“OIN has been a catalyst for open source innovation, enabling progress far beyond what was imagined at its inception,” said Frank Sedlarcik, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Research & IP at IBM. “As open innovation continues to shape the future of technology, it’s vital that we protect it. We call on all organizations that build on or benefit from open source to join us in supporting OIN 2.0 and defending open innovation.”
“There have been many businesses and institutions that have been instrumental in open source’s broad adoption. Somewhere near the top of that list is Open Invention Network,” said Jim Zemlin, Executive Director at The Linux Foundation. “OIN has enabled businesses to confidently invest their resources in open source development, projects, and use. Without OIN to help protect the open source community from patent aggression, its growth would not be as great. We encourage all companies to join OIN 2.0 now.”
It appears that OIN will continue its good work as the only institution focused on mitigating patent risk in open source software. By safeguarding against patent threats, OIN looks to encourage the adoption of OSS, a key driver of our information-based economy.
