Bonum Certa Men Certa

Does the Open Invention Network (OIN) Become a Patent Harvester?

Piggy bank OIN



Summary: OIN wants to fight patents with some more patents

BASED on the press release shown at the bottom, Heise has just written this short report about the patent pool known as OIN:

The Open Invention Network (OIN) today announced that it was starting a new programme to acquire patents from "entrepreneurial inventors". The Distinguished Inventors Patent Acquisition programme offers cash for accepted patents while allowing the inventor to patent enhancements to the accepted patent. The OIN believe the programme will help independent inventors turn their patents into money, without them selling their patents to patent trolls, or companies seeking to "impede innovation".


This is some bizarre logic, but given the corporate source of the OIN, this may not be too surprising. Richard Stallman correctly pointed out that "fighting patents one by one will never eliminate the danger of software patents, any more than swatting mosquitoes will eliminate malaria." Well, likewise, trying to buy all patents that can potentially be acquired by patent trolls is like trying to put all mosquitoes inside a plastic tube in hope of eliminate malaria. The solution is to eliminate/illegalise patent trolls or eradicate this morbid system altogether.

Below is the full press release.




Open Invention Network Announces Launch of Distinguished Inventors Patent Acquisition Program With Purchase of V_Graph Patents



DURHAM, NC -- 08/03/09 -- Open Invention Network (OIN), a collaborative enterprise that enables innovation in open source and an increasingly vibrant ecosystem around Linux, today announced the launch of its Distinguished Inventors Patent Acquisition program. The program is focused on entrepreneurial inventors, typically unaffiliated with large corporate entities, who have authored key technology patents. The Distinguished Inventors Patent Acquisition program offers upfront cash consideration for accepted patents and support for further advances in the technology and onward patenting by the original inventor. The program will be an attractive alternative for independent inventors seeking to monetize their patents but not wishing to sell to patent trolls or "corporate trolls" who seek to use patents to impede innovation and competition.

“The program will be an attractive alternative for independent inventors seeking to monetize their patents but not wishing to sell to patent trolls or "corporate trolls" who seek to use patents to impede innovation and competition.”"OIN is pleased to be in a position to offer such a compelling solution to independent inventors," said Keith Bergelt, CEO of OIN. "Our organization acquires valuable technology patents and makes them available royalty-free to any organization that agrees not to assert its patents against the Linux System. Because of this, inventors can be confident that patents they sell to OIN will be available to support continued global innovation."

The template for patent acquisitions for the Distinguished Inventors Patent Acquisition program involves patents 5,862,372 and 7,185,316, entitled "Visually Oriented Computer Implemented Application Development System Utilizing Standardized Objects and Multiple Views." These patents were acquired by OIN from V_Graph earlier this year.

V_Graph is known for its contributions to object-oriented scripting, including the application development system called "O-Zone, the Object Zone," which is used to build distributed internet-enabled programs. "We sold our patent portfolio to OIN because we are convinced that it is best for people to use our inventions constructively," noted Robert Morris, V_Graph founder and inventor.

About V_Graph

V_Graph, founded in 1986 by Robert Morris and Leet Denton, is an entrepreneurial company specializing in innovative solutions which allow computers to do useful work. In the mid 1980s, V_Graph developed VirtualVideo, which the Smithsonian recognizes as one of the earliest known modern multimedia systems. For the last decade, V_Graph has been involved in computer language development activities through which it has made significant contributions to the computer and software industries. For more information, go to www.v-graph.com.

About Open Invention Network

Open Invention Network(SM) is a collaborative enterprise that enables innovation in open source and an increasingly vibrant ecosystem around Linux, by acquiring and licensing patents, influencing behaviors and policy and protecting the integrity of the ecosystem. It enables the growth and continuation of open source software by fostering a healthy Linux ecosystem of investors, vendors, developers and users.

Open Invention Network has considerable industry backing. It was launched in 2005, and has received investments from IBM, NEC, Novell, Philips, Red Hat and Sony. For more information, go to www.openinventionnetwork.com.

Open Invention Network, the Open Invention Network logo, Linux Defenders, Linux Defenders 911 and the Linux Defenders 911 logo are the property of Open Invention Network, LLC. All other names and brand marks are the property of their respective holders.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Microsoft Uses LLM Slop to Defraud (or Rob) Shareholders
Microsoft is basically defrauding its shareholders by LLM slop
The "Davos Effect": Tarnishing the Reputation of Places Not by Overtourism But by Oligarch Infestation
The last Venice needs is an affiliation with Venetian oligarchs
 
Microsoft Lost 29% of Windows Users, Based on Microsoft, Now Come Massive Layoffs
Microsoft collapse is today
Slopwatch: Google Serves to People Linux Slop and Linux FUD (Made by Bots)
"Slopwatch" finds it difficult to ignore Google's role in encouraging LLM slop
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, July 01, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, July 01, 2025
"Wayland People" Behave Like the Googles and Microsofts of This World
Published yesterday by Igor Ljubuncic
Gemini Links 02/07/2025: Arch Linux and Fulfillment in Gemini
Links for the day
Links 01/07/2025: "Independence Day in Taiwan", Bounties on Software Patents
Links for the day
What Happens When Your Law Firm is Preoccupied With Harassing and Trying to Extort a Humble Couple in Manchester, Even on Behalf of Violent Microsoft Staff From Another Continent
It's good to see that law firms which operate in bad faith are perishing
Lawyer X, Law Firm X and Elon Musk's X: scandals linked by Old Xaverian
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 01/07/2025: Distraction-Free Writing and Hytale Mismanagement
Links for the day
Links 01/07/2025: "Beauty of Blogging" and "Etiquette of Collapse"
Links for the day
The Web is a Dead End
We need to adopt alternatives
When Words Lose Their Intended Meaning
examples of words that, at least in the technical spheres, don't mean what they sound like
People Who Disagree With You on Technical Matters May or May Not Agree With You on Political Things (But Usually They Do)
What bothers me a great deal is seeing left-leaning people accusing other left-leaning people of being "nazis"
"Too Much Choice" and "Too Many Programming Languages"
What IBM and its apologists aim for was attempted in the 1930s and it failed
Microsoft Lost 400,000,000 Windows Users, According to Microsoft
more people adopt smaller computers and many people replace Windows with GNU/Linux, as they don't really need a new computer
Half a Year Gone, What's to Come Next
In the second half of 2025 we expect to be done with the Microsoft SLAPPs
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, June 30, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, June 30, 2025
People at the Very Top of Microsoft Know How Bad Things Really Are
There's no product that can replace the former profitability of Windows licensing and stuff that went on top of Windows
Gemini Links 01/07/2025: Mid Year and a Tour of Old Languages
Links for the day
EPO Presentation Bemoans Misuse of Slop in Decision-Making on Patents and in Classification (Which is Likely Illegal Too)
We habitually mention failed use cases of LLMs on the Web
Mass Layoffs at Microsoft Confirmed, "XBox Hardware Is Dead"
It's possible that over 20% of the staff will be laid off
Links 30/06/2025: Kyrgyzstan vs Media Freedom, Dalai Lama Succession
Links for the day
Gemini Links 30/06/2025: Backend Programs in Gemini and Dynamic Content Without The Scripting
Links for the day
Links 30/06/2025: Zuckerberg’s Tax-Evading Scheme Harms Kids, US Copyright Office Lacks Leadership
Links for the day
Microsoft Isn't Laying Off Tens of Thousands to 'Invest' in Slop ('Hey Hi'), It's Laying Off Tens of Thousands Because It's Running Out of Money (and Willing Lenders)
the layoffs are a sign of the business failing, not "hey hi" (whatever that is) replacing staff
Intel Lays Off 20% of Its Workforce, Microsoft is Doing the Same This Year
Like a yoyo, whatever goes up will come back down
Microsoft XBox Layoffs: Almost 2,000 Layoffs Became "Over 2,000"? (Over 20% of the Staff)
over 20% of staff will be let go, not counting staff that leaves voluntarily
GNU/Linux Rises to New Highs in Angola, Africa in General is Abandoning Windows
Western media barely covers Microsoft layoffs in Africa, but in recent years Microsoft culled the workforce and even shut down entire operations
Summer Plans in Techrights and Elsewhere
massive layoffs at Microsoft
Destination Geminispace (in the Age of LLM Slop and Slop Images That Infest the Web and Social Control Media)
Geminispace isn't vast, but at least it is - on average - a lot "cleaner"
GNU/Linux Growing in Sierra Leone This Year
Based on what statCounter is seeing, this year there are more and more people there who adopt GNU/Linux
Serial Sloppers Gonna Slop
More sites out there ought to call out the cheaters
Quartz (qz.com) is Spam and a Slopfarm
It used to be OK. Then they fired the staff.
Links 30/06/2025: US Economic Woes, Extreme Heat
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, June 29, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, June 29, 2025
Gemini Links 30/06/2025: "The AI Hype" and New AuraGem Ask
Links for the day