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posted by martyb on Wednesday October 10 2018, @10:53PM   Printer-friendly
from the what's-the-catch dept.

Microsoft open-sources its patent portfolio

By joining the Open Invention Network, Microsoft is offering its entire patent portfolio -- with the legacy exception of its Windows and desktop application code -- to all of the open-source patent consortium's members.

Before Microsoft joined, OIN had more than 2,650 community members and owns more than 1,300 global patents and applications. OIN is the largest patent non-aggression community in history and represents a core set of open-source intellectual-property values. Its members include Google, IBM, Red Hat, and SUSE. The OIN patent license and member cross-licenses are available royalty-free to anyone who joins the OIN community.

This is maybe the biggest Microsoft news since Microsoft "acquired" The Linux Foundation nearly two years ago in Nov 2016.

Also at Ars Technica.


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  • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday October 11 2018, @12:54AM (1 child)

    by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Thursday October 11 2018, @12:54AM (#747221) Journal

    Very possible, because Windows doesn't make them much money outside the business sector. Since Linux is free...

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 11 2018, @02:06AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 11 2018, @02:06AM (#747250)

    windows as a service prolly a couple of years away.