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Recently Joined the OIN Community

About OIN

OIN is a defensive patent pool and community of patent non-aggression which enables freedom of action in Linux. Learn about OIN’s mission, team, supporters, and more.

OIN Community

Over 2,000 organizations have joined OIN. In support of patent non-aggression. For free access to OIN’s patents. And to gain royalty free access to Linux System patents of other OIN participants.

Our License Agreement

Available to all parties, a completed OIN license agreement provides entry to the OIN community and its benefits. Review the agreement, learn more, and sign up online.

OIN Linux System

The Linux System is the set of technologies in which OIN participants agree to cross-license patents to another. A shared zone of patent non-aggression to promote collaboration.

Press Room

OIN enables freedom of action in open source and Linux, which have been great sources of innovation. Find press releases, coverage, FAQs, resources and more here.

Community Initiatives

OIN supports complementary community initiatives that are good for our community and open source software.

Press Mentions

November 19, 2019
Open Invention Network teams up with IBM, Linux Foundation, and Microsoft to protect open-source software from patent trolls

November 19, 2019
OIN, IBM, Microsoft and the Linux Foundation team up against open-source patent trolls

Read More >>

What people are saying…

Embecosm has joined the Open Invention Network (OIN), an industry consortium with an ever-growing patent pool that facilitates cross-licensing, for mutual defence against those who would use patents against the Linux ecosystem. All members are protected, even companies like Embecosm which bring no patents to the table. I don’t like the world we are in, but at least Embecosm is now in a stronger position to protect free software.”

Jeremy Bennett, Embecosm

Tencent is committed to offering high-quality Internet-based services from social, games and digital content to mobile payment, cloud services, Internet financial services and smart retail solutions, among many others. Linux and open source are critical elements in the technologies that we are developing to provide these services. By joining the Open Invention Network, we are demonstrating our continued commitment to innovation, and supporting it with patent non-aggression in Linux.

Xu YanTencent Holdings Limited

Protecting open source is critical to us, our users and to the ongoing health of the Internet. We’re proud of our new role within OIN. We’re very happy with the direction OIN has been going.

Chris DiBonaDirector of Open Source, Google

The ecosystem in which we operate is changing rapidly. Innovation that was once squarely housed within the community and exclusively oriented towards its collective betterment is increasingly being conducted across a growing number of companies around the world. That growth is exciting, but there is no denying that with it comes a complex array of actors and interests, some of whom may be more opportunistic in their thinking when it comes to intellectual property rights. Ensuring that permission…

James MurdockBlockstream

We view Open Invention Network as one of the key methods through which open source leaders and innovators can deter patent aggression. “We are committed to freedom of action in open source, and have noted OIN’s efforts to actively defend and enable the Linux ecosystem.

Jane Silber, Canonical

Improving little by little every day is not just a slogan for Great Wall Motor. We believe in daily advances in our in-vehicle systems to improve our customers’ overall driving experience. Harnessing the benefits inherent in open source software to help do so completely aligns with our goals. By joining OIN, we are demonstrating our commitment to open source software, and supporting it with a pledge of patent non-aggression.

Xiaozu WangGreat Wall Motor Company Limited

Linux and open source are critical elements in today’s mobile, cloud and enterprise computing environments. By joining the Open Invention Network, we are helping ensure the ongoing development of open solutions that promote market growth in key lines of business.

Guru PaiVerizon

With the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) reshaping what is possible in industrial settings— improving productivity, enhancing operational efficiency and increasing customer choice— we view Linux and other open source projects as key enablers in the IIOT. The success of the IIOT is predicated on the ability to connect and manage widely distributed sensors and devices across numerous vertical industries and compute the data effectively on an industrial scale.

Peter KohlschmidtCTO, Moxa

Linux can be found in consumer and professional systems in use around the globe. We are committed to redesigning the lifestyles of people around the world, by providing them with excitement and peace of mind. One way we create sophisticated products is by using advanced open platforms, and we are committed to ensuring their ongoing development.

Tetsuro FuseVice Operating Officer, JVCKENWOOD

Flex is proud to join OIN and help further the goals of the open source community. In our position spanning many industries, we are sensitive to the negative impact that the aggressive assertion of patents can have on innovation, and how excessive lawsuits can significantly dampen opportunities for collaboration, especially within the open source community. We are pleased to be an active participant in the effort to protect Linux and related open source technologies from the risk of patent litig…

John RitsickVP of Legal and Chief Intellectual Property Officer, Flex

Recently Joined the OIN Community

About OIN

OIN Community

Our License Agreement

OIN Linux System

Press Room

Community Initiatives

Press Mentions

What people are saying…