Not at all sure it applies to us at all. And no time to research it so i
forward it to the list.
Ronny
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Hello Ronny,
I've had great difficulty trying to determine the Project Owner for the
Skolelinux Distribution. I ran across your name in association with an
earlier release announcement for Skolelinux and decided I would address this to
you and that if you are not the right person, trust that you would forward this
to the right person or let me know who I should contact.
In any event, I believe a developer and/or distributor of Skolelinux should be
interested in
Open Invention Network LLC (OIN), a company
formed by a group of notable investors ( IBM, Sony, NEC, Red Hat, Philips and
Novel )
to promote and protect the worldwide use of Linux.
http://www.openinventionnetwork.com
OIN is an intellectual property company that uses its patents to ensure the
openness
of Linux so that developers, distributors and users of Linux offerings can
invest in
Linux with fewer worries about intellectual property issues.
The principle motivation & goal behind the creation of OIN was to form a
company
that was not focused on creating income or profit for itself, but instead a
company that
would help to shield the Linux System from threats of patent infringement by
others
whose business models might be opposed to Linux.
The way that OIN achieves this goal is two-fold. First, by acquiring patents
and patent applications principally relevant to the Linux operating
environment.
OIN retains these patents in its own portfolio, which currently
numbers some 150 + patents & patent applications to be used for cross-licensing
purposes to defend the Linux System. OIN's intent is to only assert its
patents in a
defensive way - against those who attack Linux . Second, by offering
a free license to OIN's patents in return for an agreement that the licensed
party will not
assert its patents against the Linux offerings of other OIN Licensees.
So, the way this works, is that if Skolelinux were to become an OIN
licensee, you
pay no money for the license and obtain the right to develop and
market all products under the protection of OIN's patents. Further, you
would obtain the additional right to develop and market Linux offerings
consistent with the Linux System not only under the protection of OIN's
patents, but also under the protection of the patents of all other OIN
Licensees
such as under the extensive portfolios of the original investors listed above
plus a growing number of new licensees such as Oracle, Google,
Canonical (Ubuntu) and others.
Thus the central idea behind the formulation of OIN is that as participants in
the Linux
environment bond together under a common and no fee licensing arrangement where
they collectively agree not to assert patents against each other's Linux
offerings and
where they are each also licensed under OIN's portfolio, those
participants will be operating
with much less risk of intellectual property issues that would otherwise dampen
the
expansion and protection of the worldwide use of Linux. .
Thank you for the opportunity to share this with you. Please look over the
attached copy of
OIN's Patent License Agreement and let me know if I may answer any questions
that you might
have. Hopefully, you will conclude that Skolelinux should become a member of
OIN's community
because by doing so you will enhance the protection of your own Linux efforts
and will obtain
recognition as a supporter of open access to intellectual property for Linux.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Pete
____________________________
Peter D.(Pete) Montano
Open Invention Nework, LLC
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Office Phone: 704-341-5888
Cell Phone: 704-904-1333
OIN License Agreement - ODF -18-Jun-08.odt
Description: Zip compressed data
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