09 September 2009 | Author: D. Warburton Search Copywriter

Linux firms may obtain Microsoft patents

Microsoft is thought to be in discussions with an open source advocacy group to sell patents relating to Linux.

V3 reports that the Open Invention Network - which includes IBM, Cisco and HP - has begun arrangements to purchase the Microsoft patents, currently owned by the Allied Security Trust which obtained them in an auction.

It is believed that the deal is motivated by legal concerns, as the Open Invention Network strives to protect Linux vendors from the possibility of lawsuits from 'patent trolls,' organisations that purchase intellectual property with the intent of collecting settlements from traders.

The Open Invention Network states that its objective is "to promote the Linux system by using patents to create a collaborative ecosystem." The group's website outlines its missions as being to provide a "positive, fertile ecosystem for Linux, which in turn drives innovation and choice in the global marketplace."

The sale of Microsoft shares reflects the Silicon Valley giant's ongoing efforts to make peace with the open source community, following a turbulent history of antitrust settlements and issues regarding access to products.

In April, representatives of Microsoft, Linux and Sun Microsystems discussed their common interests at the Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit of producing products that work together. The summit saw Microsoft promising to be more receptive to Linux developers in the future. In May, Microsoft and Linux joined forces over the legislation to improve the quality of software licensing contracts, an issue that affected the software market as a whole.