Microsoft joins the Open Invention Network, brings more than 60,000 patents to the table

[Shawn Knight]

Why it matters: There's been plenty of friction between Microsoft and the open source advocates regarding patents over the years. By joining the Open Invention Network, Microsoft is taking a big step in improving relations with the community.

Microsoft is open-sourcing its vast patent portfolio. On Wednesday, it was announced that the Redmond-based technology giant had joined the Open Invention Network (OIN), the largest patent non-aggression community in the world with more than 2,650 members.

Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Erich Andersen said Microsoft brings more than 60,000 issued patents to OIN. According to ZDNet, Microsoft’s entire patent portfolio is on offer with the legacy exception of its Windows and desktop application code.

The patents, as well as those on offer from other members including Google, IBM, Sony and Philips, are available to license royalty-free to anyone that joins the OIN community.

Microsoft is pledging our massive patent portfolio – over 60,000 patents – to Linux and open source by joining OIN this morning. If you're looking for signs that we are serious about being the world's largest open source company, look no further. https://t.co/JiUimL4NRa

— Nat Friedman (@natfriedman) October 10, 2018

This isn’t Microsoft’s first step towards being more open. Programs like Azure IP Advantage, for example, extended patent protection to Azure service users more than two years ago.

Still, it’s big news. OIN CEO Keith Bergelt said it covers “everything related to older open-source technologies such as Android, the Linux kernel, and OpenStack; newer technologies such as LF Energy and HyperLedger, and their predecessor and successor versions.”

In 2013, Microsoft collected $3.4 billion in licensing fees related to its Android patents. What sort of impact will the OIN development have on revenue from licensing deals?

Earlier this month, Microsoft released the source code for MS-DOS on GitHub, the code repository it purchased earlier this year for $7.5 billion. It had previously been available through the Computer History Museum although it wasn’t quite as easy to find through that source.

Microsoft knows there isn’t a profitable future maintaining a proprietary OS. That’s why Windows was moved under Azure in the company hierarchy & is rapidly embracing open source. They will transition their user base to a Linux distro they control & profit from online services https://t.co/TnbMlXRyJD

— Barnacules (@Barnacules) October 10, 2018

A rising tide, raises all ships. It's amazing to see Microsoft put it's money where it's mouth is. This is one of those moments where we see a company that is not merely a leader because of financials, but is instead is leading through action. https://t.co/2UoKmxZuYd

— Dan Siegel (@DanJSiegel) October 10, 2018

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https://www.techspot.com/news/76871-microsoft-joins-open-invention-network-brings-more-than.html

 

[saveyourdough]

We could had been exploring space, colonizing distance planets long ago if not for human greeds. Look at billions of wasted brain around the world, if only they had the opportunity to explore their potential not just a privilege few we wouldn't be stuck here on the same rock.

 

[seefizzle]

We could had been exploring space, colonizing distance planets long ago if not for human greeds. Look at billions of wasted brain around the world, if only they had the opportunity to explore their potential not just a privilege few we wouldn't be stuck here on the same rock.

I have this same thought every time I see the military budget compared to Nasa's budget.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

We could had been exploring space, colonizing distance planets long ago if not for human greeds. Look at billions of wasted brain around the world, if only they had the opportunity to explore their potential not just a privilege few we wouldn't be stuck here on the same rock.

Human greed is also responsible for much of that same technology. Human greed pushed rocket technology forward by leaps and bounds, along with material sciences and allowed for the economy of the strongest nation in the world to send people to the moon, something no other nation has ever done.

Greed is one of the best drivers of innovation. A world without greed lacks motivation, and would merely revert to a simple subsistence farming level of agriculture.

 

[saveyourdough]

Just imagine combining billions of wasted brain and see what we can accomplished rather than a privilege few and patent trolling/hoarding. A world without disease, poverty and hunger etc. Let's just hope we'll get there but not in your lifetime.

 

[DeanLO]

I still have doubts about this. Maybe I'm just blinded by the old M$ leadership and their actions in the past. I hope M$ embracing Linux is a good thing (I run Linux at home), but I just envision M$'s 3 Es coming into play.

Embrace, extend, and extinguish
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend,_and_extinguish

 

[gamerk2]

Human greed is also responsible for much of that same technology. Human greed pushed rocket technology forward by leaps and bounds, along with material sciences and allowed for the economy of the strongest nation in the world to send people to the moon, something no other nation has ever done.

Actually, pretty much all rocket technology was created on government dime for national defense purposes.

Hell, most underlying technology for the past 100 years has directly or indirectly been developed/discovered using Federal money, either through public universities (Government funded R&D labs) or through ARPA/DARPA. Even things as ubiquitous as the LCD screen you read this message on; LCDs were developed by ARPA and first used commercially in the Apollo Program.

All greed does is turn those technologies into some marketable product that can make a profit. The actual discovery is 99/100 times done using taxpayer dollars.

 

[Capaill]

We could had been exploring space, colonizing distance planets long ago if not for human greeds. Look at billions of wasted brain around the world, if only they had the opportunity to explore their potential not just a privilege few we wouldn't be stuck here on the same rock.

Human greed is also responsible for much of that same technology. Human greed pushed rocket technology forward by leaps and bounds, along with material sciences and allowed for the economy of the strongest nation in the world to send people to the moon, something no other nation has ever done.

Greed is one of the best drivers of innovation. A world without greed lacks motivation, and would merely revert to a simple subsistence farming level of agriculture.

I think competition and fear are also great motivators. I doubt the US put people on the moon for reasons of personal gain, more so to ensure the Commies wouldn't be the first as they also had an active space program. There has been zero financial gain from being the first to the moon. The Soviets didn't even bother going in the end. Surprisingly, the US have sent astronauts to the moon 6 times.

 

[Abraka]

Let's make this guy Erich Andersen the new CEO.
We need someone with good organizational skills and global mentality.

 

[tipstir]

FLUX LINER A.R.V
The defense budget money goes into these so call BLACK PROJECT. Lockheed Martin are supposedly making these craft 3 different sizes. Forget the rockets. We all don't know what they're doing. If the media doesn't spill the beans no one really knows.

Microsoft can share what it wants with it's patterns. Right now everyone cares about is making money to pay bills. What type of car should I buy or not just go for SUV LUV or truck. Who won which sports game last night. Honey did you buy any bread or milk. This is what people talk about. We all here talk about tech world. Others might talk about what else they're into.

I really care just what what going to happen in advances will they ever come out with transparency and holographic tech. They got touch screen swipe to left and swipe to right to change screens. But how about bringing that to home. Sure we have some all-in-one systems with huge touch screen. But still I guess tech going to take 30 more years to come out with some cool devices. Change what we use today for watch HDTV or UHDTV on. .

The defense budget will always be out of control. They spend more than they can make. We should do without money use point system. Electrons next money there goes the focus on that. Anyway got that off my brain.

 

[Jack007]

They got a guilty conscience now. after they made millions off from those patents stolen from unsuspecting americans and others around the world they release them when they are useless. There are many tech "so called giants" that literally haunt the patent office in usa and other places paying money under the table to get patents that can be implemented and make them millions more.