HackNBlog @ Salamanteri Server

I bumped into heart warming article, File your open source code with Linux Defenders, at zdnet.com’s blog site. To put it out in sort, the article advices to file your OSS source code at LinuxDefenders.org “to prove your authorship of open source code and protect it from patent trolls” - an important step bacause otherwise your great application may, in future, become illegal in some of the silly countries where software can be given patents (even if those filing the patent were not the inventors if they are first to file). Even worse, if you live in country that recognives software patents you may be in big trouble.

Here’s a larger quote:

…if you want to prove your authorship of open source code and protect it from patent trolls, perhaps you should file. With Linux Defenders

Linux Defenders is the creation of the Open Innovation Network, a group that includes Red Hat, IBM, Novell and others interested in protecting open source rights.

Its mission. To keep patent trolls from laying claim to your code after it’s written, by tracking its authorship.

All you need do is register your code with the site and the OIN members will get that information to IP.Com, a database the folks at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office themselves use to determine whether something has been invented.

Once the code is established as your prior art the troll has nowhere to go. Case closed.

…go read the full article or or visit LinuxDefenders for more info & protection of your Open Source!

Author is a 29 years old linux zealot and hacker from Finland.

Tags: freedom, legal, Linux/Unix Software, Open Source, Patents

This entry was posted on Monday, December 15th, 2008 at 9:20 pm and is filed under News, Programming. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.