This talk will draw parallels between the copyright challenge at the dawn of the free and open innovation, and the new challenge of patent aggression being faced by the creative community nowadays.
Same as GPL, Copyleft, Afero and BSD-license were for the copyright hygiene, the OIN license is for software patent hygiene. Open Invention Network as a practical response to patent lawsuits threats.
There were times when avant-garde projects and innovative companies had problems with copyrights. These problems were mainly solved by introducing public copyright licenses, which helped to create safer and more accommodative environment around free and open software and other open innovation.
But since some years innovators face patent lawsuits, which result from misuse of the outdated and often counter-productive patent system. Because of this system virtually all the innovation became a legal jungle where creators can be attacked from behind of any tiny tree by trolls or other warmongers.
Is just hating them and rejecting the whole notion of patent is a solution to this problem? Could a peaceful prayer ever stop aggression? No even handful examples of this in the human history.
Can an armed collective organise its own defence and stop aggression? More likely than not. Even showing off your defensive weapons may prevent aggression without fight.
That was the idea behind Open Invention Network - a collective patent defence system with the biggest defensive patent pool.
One may see it as a fortress in a hostile woods full of trolls. Everybody who does not want to be attacked and wants to be protected is welcome. With a weapon or without, big or small, commercial or non-profit. If one does not have a weapon, he brings a brick with him - his voice against aggression, which entrenches the walls of the fort.
No costs, no strings attached. You are welcome if you only pledge patent non-aggression towards other members around Linux. Only.
This is how this patent aggression challenge being addressed by the community.