ArsTechnica: Linux Defenders to protect open source from patent suits http://www.digitalmajority.org/forum/t-112661/arstechnica:linux-defenders-to-protect-open-source-from-pate Posts in the discussion thread "ArsTechnica: Linux Defenders to protect open source from patent suits" - In order to avoid getting embroiled in messy and expensive patent disputes, many companies have taken to filing for defensive patents. Companies now have a tendency to patent everything they do, even if they never intend to enforce the patent; instead, their intellectual property portfolios exist in part to protect them from being sued by anyone else. This approach doesn't necessarily sit well with the open source community, which lacks a single umbrella organization to file for patents, and is populated by many individuals who don't feel that software should be subject to patenting. Today saw the launch of a group that aims to protect open source projects from patent disputes both by formally establishing prior art and by participating in patent peer review. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:52:58 +0000 http://www.digitalmajority.org/forum/t-112661#post-333148 ArsTechnica: Linux Defenders to protect open source from patent suits http://www.digitalmajority.org/forum/t-112661/arstechnica:linux-defenders-to-protect-open-source-from-pate#post-333148 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:45:55 +0000 zoobab 2946 "In order to avoid getting embroiled in messy and expensive patent disputes, many companies have taken to filing for defensive patents. Companies now have a tendency to patent everything they do, even if they never intend to enforce the patent; instead, their intellectual property portfolios exist in part to protect them from being sued by anyone else. This approach doesn't necessarily sit well with the open source community, which lacks a single umbrella organization to file for patents, and is populated by many individuals who don't feel that software should be subject to patenting. Today saw the launch of a group that aims to protect open source projects from patent disputes both by formally establishing prior art and by participating in patent peer review."

Source: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081210-linux-defenders-to-protect-open-source-from-patent-suits.html

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