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IBM And Sony Form Linux Alliance

Posted by Zonk on from the everybody-else-is-doing-it dept.

An anonymous reader writes "CNN is reporting that IBM, Sony, and Philips are creating a Linux adoption group. Called the 'Open Invention Network', it is intended to protect vendors and customers from patent royalty fees while using OSS." From the article: "Patents owned by OIN will be available without payment of royalties to any company, institution or individual that agrees not to assert its patents against others who have signed a license with OIN, when using certain Linux-related software. Traditionally, patents have been pursued for two primary reasons -- to defend one's own intellectual property or for barter to trade in cross-licensing agreements to gain access to other companies' patents. OIN represents a new form of cross-licensing that its backers say could spur innovation. "

6 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. A matter of trust... by harrkev · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This certainly seems like a good idea, but am I the only one that thinks that seeing Sony in this list is rather out of character, especially given Sony's recent actions?

    --
    "-1 Troll" is the apparently the same as "-1 I disagree with you."
    1. Re:A matter of trust... by strider44 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Probably not. However you're forgetting how big a company Sony is. Just think of IBM - on one hand they are fighting against Microsoft through Linux and their servers and services, but on the other hand they are manufacturing chips for Microsoft's brand new console. They're all companies, not a single person. It's not personal, it's business. Noone involved in the rootkitting is also involved in this Linux alliance.

    2. Re:A matter of trust... by altoz · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm sure Sony employees are just as outraged as the rest of us are about the rootkit. Fact of the matter is that the entertainment moguls (music, tv, movies) are in a completely different division doing idiotic stuff. Think about it, if MIT had one professor that ran a criminal record on his students, there would be other professors on campus that would be outraged. Same thing here.

  2. Potentially awesome by Ryvar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The idea of an anti-patent patent trust is as old as the hills, but to see this much corporate clout behind it was unthinkable not five years ago. It feels like there's been a sea-change and I like it. More important than helping IBM and Sony fight Microsoft, if this idea gained momentum it could seriously roll back a lot of the current technical stagnation on account of software/algorithm patents.

    Color me cautiously hopeful.

    --Ryv

  3. Re:cost of a license by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Software patents are not acceptable, these companies and others pushing for a stable ABI (binary drivers) are attempting to co-opt linux. To accept this patent pledge we would first have to accept that software patents are acceptable, they are not. If these companies are not prepared to mount legal challenges to patentability of software, this is at best an empty and worthless gesture, at worst an attempt to undermine copyright protection for software authors.

  4. Hooray for Sony! by Slashcrap · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oops, sorry. I seem to have mis-spelled "Fuck you Sony, you rootkit spreading scum suckers". The keys are right next to each other.