Microsoft joins Open Invention Network

On 10/10/2018, Microsoft announced that it had joined the Open Invention Network, a patent non-aggression community focused on protecting Linux and open-source software. By becoming a member, Microsoft agreed to license its patents royalty-free to other participants for technologies related to the Linux ecosystem. The move added Microsoft’s large patent portfolio to the shared defensive pool used by companies committed to avoiding patent litigation over open-source technologies. As part of the announcement, Microsoft made more than 60,000 patents available to the Open Invention Network community. The organization includes companies such as IBM, Google, Red Hat, Sony, and Toyota, along with numerous smaller developers and organizations. Membership requires participants to agree not to assert patents against the Linux system and related open-source components defined within the OIN framework. The decision reflected Microsoft’s evolving relationship with open-source software, following increased investment in Linux support on Azure and contributions to open-source projects. Microsoft stated that joining OIN would strengthen collaboration across the open-source ecosystem and reduce legal risk for developers building Linux-based technologies.