Peter Bonivart <[email protected]> writes: > On Tue, May 6, 2014 at 7:52 PM, Peter FELECAN <[email protected]> wrote: >> Dear maintainers and members of the foundation, >> >> We are invited by Valer Mischenkoto join The Open Invention Network, a >> community of software patent non-aggression. >> >> You can read about this at http://www.openinventionnetwork.com/ >> >> I'm asking you, on the behalf of the foundation'sboard, if you wish to >> join this community. >> >> Please read and, if needed, discuss it on this list. If there is a need, >> we can organize a vote. If, however, in a reasonable lapse of time, >> lets say 4 week, there is no opposition or a request for vote, I will >> make the necessary to join the OIN. > >>From what I can see it's about Linux, how does it apply to us?
Peter, You'll find bellow the answers to my questions that Valer kindly answered. The second point answers your question. If you have specific question do not hesitate to ask him and, if needed, share with us. Valer Mischenko <[email protected]> writes: > 1. The foundation doesn't have any patents. The vast majority of the participants have no patents. This is not a requirement for participation. For most participants it is often symbolic. > 2. The Foundation is not Linux related. Historically we call it the Linux system. But its much more now than Linux only. We gradually try to make the definition of "the Linux system" broader and broader. Now it is spanning from eCommerce to PHP to Biometric Portfolio, and eventually will span to many other fields. In total there are more that 2200 software packages. We will not stop until we cover the whole open source field. Before that we keep doing this monks' work of gathering more projects and organizations around the initiative to acquire the mass needed among others for being able to influence the legislation. And get gravity which will hopefully attract all of open source. > 3. When you say "not to use pattents aggresively" I would say "not to > use patents". Period. Personally I am the same anti-patent type as you. But from our mission point of view we do not want to exclude anybody. We'd better have everybody sign the non-aggression pledge, with or without patents, than divide the world in two camps - pro-patent and anti-patent, as such division would lead to even more wars. However, when everybody pledges peace around open source we will finally have freedom to innovate without the fear to be attacked by trolls or monopolists in the market. This is a practical and realisable approach contrary to "praying against patents and hoping that they will eventually disappear". As to the patents in general. Well, you may see that from this point: When we free open source, whether software or hardware, from aggression, people will be able to innovate at faster pace. This will attract more creative people to open source and will let open source at a certain moment take over. That's a nice goal, but we are not able to achieve it on our own, without your help, without the help of others who want to set innovation free. -- Peter
