A group of Linux backers which includes IBM and Sony is seeking to avert any legal threat from Microsoft that might discourage the adoption of the Linux operating system by acquiring a set of patents formerly owned by the software giant. The Open Invention Network (OIN) says that the acquisition will protect Linux users from expensive lawsuits that could result from the patents falling into the wrong hands.
Microsoft sold the 22 patents to the Allied Security Trust (AST), a coalition of tech firms including Verizon and Google which buys up patents before they are bought by speculators to avoid expensive legal battles. The OIN says it is close to signing a deal to buy the patents from AST, though the financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. ?We have averted a scenario where these patents can be used for negative purposes,? says OIN CEO Keith Bergelt.
Microsoft execs have previously said that the company holds more than 200 patents that they believe have been violated by Linux. Earlier this year, Microsoft sued GPS device maker TomTom for allegedly infringing Microsoft patents related to Linux.
StrategyEye's related categories: PCs, Industry Bodies - TMT Bodies, Operating Systems
StrategyEye's related companies: The Linux Foundation, Red Hat, NEC, Allied Security Trust, IBM, Sony, Philips, Microsoft
