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January 11, 2005
IBM makes 500 patents available to Opens Source Developers
The opening of the 500 patents to open source developers by IBM is certainly a gesture that opens 2005 with a sense of freedom and optimism.
'It is a small but significant measure for a company with major efforts to patent its research, then license those patents. However, the vast majority of IBM's 10,000 software patents in the United States aren't being shared so freely.'
However, it must be stated that although this is a significant step for the promotion of the Open Source initiative (and a bit of a disturbance to Microsft and Bill Gates who recently equated Open Source Developers with communists) there are many steps that have to be taken in the future for the Open Source to gain a stronger foothold in hoi polloi's PCs. Not only must other software companies follow along the open steps pf IBM but IBM itself must change its strong software patent status in Europe.
Read the full IBM pledge (pdf)
Posted by Basileios at January 11, 2005 06:05 AM
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