April 29, 2025 —
OIN’s beginnings are rooted in a turbulent era for Open Source. In the mid-2000s, Linux faced a number of important IP threats. Microsoft claimed Linux violated 235 of its patents. Tech giants — including IBM, NEC, Novell, Philips, Red Hat & Sony — responded by forming OIN to protect the Open Source eco-system against patent threats & litigation. Steven Vaughan-Nichols with ZDNet explains the importance of OIN’s cross-license agreement & how the organization has grown into a global community of over 4,000 members that collectively hold more than 3 million patents & patent applications.
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