Amazon and Amazon Net Providers (AWS) have joined the patent non-aggression consortium the Open Invention Community (OIN).

Based in 2015, the OIN buys patents after which licenses them royalty-free to its members, who’ve all agreed to not implement their very own patents towards Linux-based tasks, inside limits. 

This will help to combat an exercise that’s generally often called “patent trolling”, the place individuals attempt to implement their patents far past their true authorized rights, typically in an try and extort funds. 

What position will Amazon play?

Amazon makes use of a wide range of Linux-based software program as a part of each Amazon Net Providers (AWS) and its retail enterprise. 

The transfer will see Amazon commit its complete patent portfolio to the physique of patents which are free to make use of inside OIN’s outlined open-source tasks. 

As soon as the OIN agrees to guard a bit of software program, all members are granted royalty-free, neighborhood patent licenses for using that software program.

Amazon says that including its patents to the pool helps to cut back the chance of patent aggression for corporations that innovate with open supply.

Nithya Ruff, the Amazon Open Supply Program Workplace director, stated: “Linux and open supply are important to a lot of our prospects and a key driver of innovation throughout Amazon.”

 We’re proud to help a broad vary of open-source tasks, foundations, and companions, and we’re dedicated to the long-term success and sustainability of open-source as a complete. 

They added: “By becoming a member of OIN, we’re persevering with to strengthen open supply communities and serving to to make sure applied sciences like Linux stay thriving and accessible to everybody”.

It is arduous to say precisely why Amazon opted for the latest transfer but it surely has undoubtedly not too long ago been throwing its help behind some open-source initiatives.

For instance, in Might 2022 Amazon injected introduced $10 million in funding (opens in new tab) into the Open Supply Safety Basis (OpenSSF), becoming a member of different Massive Tech backers like Alphabet. 

Amazon isn’t any stranger to patent-related authorized disputes.

It was reported in October 2022, that Chinese language tech big Huawei is at the moment suing Apple over an unnamed patent violation. (opens in new tab)

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