Linux backers form patent-sharing firm

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Actually, this is bad news....

This is an organization that will do cross-licensing. A "big-boys OSS" club, if you will. How do you get in? You agree to allow your patents to be used without royalties, and gain the same from the others in the group. What if you're a small guy who may not have many patents, or maybe none considered important by the other players, or maybe even none at all, if you're a fledgling company? Will they let you in the club? Can you use certain open-source software without fear of reprisal? Or is this just a collective protection measure by a group of large companies against *both* a) one certain large foe, and b) many smaller upcoming innovators who don't happen to have large patent portfolios, but may pose a competitive threat?

In this light, I don't necessarily see this as going far enough. The related patents need to be perpetually royalty-free for *anyone*, otherwise there really is no level playing field. I think one of the largest benefits to OSS is that it speeds up incremental innovation by being able to "reuse wheels". This is good for both established players and newcomers. This organization as it seems to have been created, could cut out the newcomers. At first glance, the large players might think this is to their advantage, but it may not be. They may benefit more by allowing new innovaters to spring up, round out products and then acquire technologies and/or products from them that are successful and merit broader adoption in the market. The level playing field benefits everyone. Here's hoping they go further in that direction.

Posted by: techboy_z   Posted on: 11/10/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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