[Reader-list] IBM frees 500 software patents

[Pankaj kaushal]

Monica Narula wrote:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4163975.stm
> 
> IBM frees 500 software patents
> 
> Computer giant IBM says 500 of its software patents will be released 
> into the open development community.
> 
>  The move means developers will be able to use the technologies without 
> paying for a licence from the company.

IBM foresees the future, where software is a commodity. It doesn't
bother them because they sell a lot of hardware and its almost
believable that people will buy even more hardware from them if software
were free. If as much of the money that was going to Microsoft now
starts flowing the IBM way keeping the OSS developers happy is a very
good move.

That being said, IBM is the leader in new patents every year. IBM rarely
let's their patents go. IBM's success is partly due from those thousands
of IP patent's they attain every year. IBM already has one of the
largest patent portfolios worldwide and it continues to register more
patents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

With 3,415 patents in 2003 IBM has more than any other company ever has
done in a year. It was also the 11th consecutive year that IBM was
awarded the most patents, and it brought IBM's total over those 11 years
to more than 25000 patents.

500 patents is a tiny fraction of the mountain of patents they own. IBM
releasing 500 patents for OSS developers can not be seen as giving away
its IP portfolio, nor can it be seen as a generous move of collaboration
with the Open source community.

Exactly how many open-source projects currently pay IBM for patent
licenses? And how many do you expect to pay in future?

Another reason why giving away a few patents is a very good idea is
because IBM wants to not look like an IP Hoarding company. By freely
distributing the patents IBM, in effect is trying to hit those IP
hoarding companies.

IBM is losing nothing here. What they have gained is a great deal of
goodwill, and given open-source development a boost. They have a great
deal of experience in building upon open-source projects, where there
competitors do not - so anything good for open-source is good for IBM at
the moment.

This is a smart move by smart people, and it follows in the footsteps of
other smart moves. This is an indicator that IBM really understands how
open-source can help their business, and if IBM continue in this
fashion, they will make a great deal of money while the rest of the
world catches up with them in the open-source stakes.

Open source changes the notion of who will make money. IBM has made
major moves to make sure they will be the benefactors of this change.


Pankaj.
-- 
make install --not war