According to CXOToday, IBM today opened 500 key innovations to the Open Source community, believed to be the largest pledge ever of patents of any kind in the world. The pledge applies to any individual, community, or company working on or using software that meets the Open Source Initiative (OSI) definition of Open Source software. The move could change the way companies deal with patents and others are expected to follow suit.
IBM’s patent portfolio grew by more than 3,000 patents in 2004. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), IBM had 1,314 more patents than any other company. This marks the fourth consecutive year IBM has received more than 3,000 U.S. patents, and IBM remains the only company to receive more than 2,000 patents in one year.
Read the article here.
