Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

IBM Patents Method For Paying Open Source Workers

Posted by simoniker on from the i-heart-patents dept.

Frequanaut writes "Oh, the bitter, bitter irony. According to The Inquirer, in a strange move, IBM has patented a method for paying open source volunteers. By the way, if the future of software development is open source, how will anyone get paid when only IBM can do it?" The Inquirer quizzically notes, with regard to this patent: "It may be an ingenious way of paying open source developers and volunteers, Big Blue, but can it really be described as an invention?"

6 of 426 comments (clear)

  1. IBM by Ianoo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'd like to think that IBM won't enforce this patent to disrupt paid open source development because they now realise how important Linux, GNU, X, Gnome and KDE are to their business model. However, I suspect I'm just being naieve.

    1. Re:IBM by Aumaden · · Score: 5, Interesting
      This is almost certainly a "defensive" patent. Simply by obtaining the patent IBM prevents anyone else from hamstringing the development community.

      Preventing OSD would be very much against IBM's best interests.
      However...

      Imagine if SCO owned this patent. They would be doing their best to extort anyone trying to pay open source developers.

    2. Re:IBM by Carnage4Life · · Score: 5, Interesting

      And they hold zillions which they do enforce. You should read up on IBM and Software Patents sometime. A number of software companies could learn a thing or two about monetizing their intellectual property from IBM [if that was their thing].

  2. One thing to bear in mind... by TWX · · Score: 5, Interesting

    is that IBM has lots of patents on lots of things that they don't normally enforce. Lots of memory control and process control concepts are covered by their patents, yet they don't enforce them. SCO is giving them a reason to, though, as a defensive counterattack.

    It might be possible that IBM is patenting this so that no one else *cough*SCO*Microsoft*cough* gets to the idea first. This is somewhat unlikely, but not impossible. Hopefully IBM's open source concepts will remain god for the public.

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  3. sounds exactly like topcoder by kesteloot · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This is exactly how topcoder pays people for developing components, except the software isn't open source. http://www.topcoder.com/?&t=development&c=inde x

  4. The fault: The IBM patent reward system by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Many companies, but especially IBM have "Patent Reward Systems". Essentially, they pay folks $1000 for Patent Applications, and the lawyers will try to send it as many as they can...after all, it's their job to do so. The more patents you write, the more money you get for successive patents, and having patents is the only good way to get to the "Distinguished Engineer" level. All in all, it encourages engineers to generate SPAM for the USPTO rather than innovative, but I knew numerous folks at IBM that would play the system.