Huawei Joins the Open Invention Network and as Linux Patent Defender

The Open Invention Network unveiled recently through a post on your website the news that Huawei has become one of the licensees and members of the Open Invention Network (OIN), an organization dedicated to protecting the Linux ecosystem from patent claims.

In this organization, OIN members agree not to file patent claims and they are free to use proprietary technologies in projects related to the Linux ecosystem. Huawei holds a significant number of patents in communications, cloud technology, smart devices, and electronics.

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“With the implementation of continuous innovations, the ICT industry is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. Linux-based platforms, including Linux Foundation Networking projects such as OPNFV and ONAP, enable service providers and enterprises to deliver new levels of functionality over cloud-defined networks and software at an unprecedented rate. " said Keith Bergelt, CEO of Open Invention Network.

"As a world leader in ICT infrastructure and a company with a significant intellectual property portfolio, we appreciate that Huawei is joining OIN and supporting non-aggression of patents on the Linux kernel and adjacent OSS."

"In addition to being a global technology leader, Huawei is a major contributor to the Linux kernel, other key open source projects, and is a Platinum member of the Linux Foundation," said Jim Zemlin, Executive Director of the Linux Foundation. «

“Huawei is committed to offering the highest quality ICT and smart devices. Linux and OSS are critical elements of the technologies that we are developing and integrating with operators and companies around the world, ”said Jianxin Ding, Huawei Global Intellectual Property Director. 

OIN members include more than 3,200 companies, communities and organizations who have signed a license agreement to share patents. Among the key contributors from OIN to Linux Protection Patent Group there are companies like Google, IBM, NEC, Toyota, Renault, SUSE, Philips, Red Hat, Alibaba, HP, AT&T, Juniper, Facebook, Cisco, Casio, Fujitsu, Sony and Microsoft.

Companies that sign the agreement get access to OIN patents, in exchange for the obligation not to file legal claims for the use of technologies used in the Linux ecosystem. In particular, As part of joining OIN, Microsoft transferred the right to use more than 60 of its patents to OIN members, agreeing not to use them against Linux and open source software.

The agreement between OIN members applies only to distribution components that fall under the definition of the Linux system ("Linux System").

Currently the list includes 2873 packages, included Linux kernel, Android platform, KVM, Git, nginx, CMake, PHP, Python, Ruby, Go, Lua, OpenJDK, WebKit, KDE, GNOME, QEMU, Firefox, LibreOffice, Qt, systemd, X.Org, Wayland , etc. In addition to non-aggression obligations for additional protection, a patent pool has been formed within the OIN, which includes Linux-related patents purchased or donated by participants.

OIN's patent pool includes more than 1300 patents. In the hands of OIN is included a group of patents, which presented one of the first references to technologies for creating dynamic web content that anticipated the appearance of systems such as Microsoft's ASP, Sun / Oracle's JSP and PHP.

Another significant contribution was the 2009 acquisition of 22 Microsoft patents, which had previously been sold to the AST consortium, as patents affecting 'open source' products.

All OIN members are free to use these patents. The validity of the OIN agreement was confirmed by a decision of the United States Department of Justice, which required that the interests of OIN be considered in the terms of the transaction for the sale of Novell's patents.

If you want to know more about it, you can consult the original note In the following link.


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