When it comes to using a version of Linux the only thing end users really need worry about is which flavor to pick and when to schedule the 600MB+ free download. But for corporate and business users there is a wider concern, and that is whether the operating system they are building applications
and services on top of will continue to be open, free, and devoid of any legal disputes going forward. To that end there is a major drive behind securing the future of Linux with regards to patents.

One such group is the Open Invention Network (OIN) which counts companies including IBM, NEC, Novell, Philips, Red Hat and Sony as backers. It’s main purpose is to acquire and license patents that protect the Linux environment. This week it has finalized a deal that sees OIN take control of 22 old Microsoft patents which the Redmond giant had already sold on to Allied Security Trust (AST). AST agreed to sell those patents on to OIN therefore protecting them from future use against users of the Linux OS.

Keith Bergelt, Chief Executive Officer of Open Invention Network said of the acquistion:

    Today’s announcement evidences OIN’s continued commitment to acquire patents that may be relevant to Linux. We are pleased to have purchased these patents and view this as a model of successful collaboration among defensive patent organizations that share a common goal of creating freedom of action for practicing entities across Linux and the broader technology sector. The prospect of these patents being placed in the hands of non-practicing entities was a threat that has been averted with these purchases, irrespective of patent quality and whether or not the patents truly read on Linux.

Read more at the Open Invention Network press release

Matthew’s Opinion

The last thing that any company using Linux wants is a lawsuit brought against them for patent infringement, so gathering these patents up and making them both safe to use and future-proof so to speak; helps ensure Linux remains free and open. With an organization like OIN pushing ahead with securing more of these patents the situation is only going to get better for individuals and companies using it.

With the patent issue removed, the functionality and usability of Linux improving with every release, and another free operating system on the horizon in the form of Google Chrome OS, it is looking increasingly difficult to actually charge to use an OS in the first place. As users continue to move towards getting all their entertainment from and working in the cloud; the OS also becomes less important.

It may not happen with this generation of Windows, and possibly not the next one, but there are serious questions that will arise in the next decade as to the role of the operating system and the price, if any, you pay for using one on a machine.