Linux Foundation—Linux Foundation established Open Source Zone patent defense initiative invalidating 54+ patent troll patents
In 2019, the Linux Foundation, Open Invention Network (OIN), and Microsoft created the Open Source Zone with Unified Patents to challenge patents owned by Patent Assertion Entities (patent trolls) that targeted open source projects. Over five years, the initiative achieved a success rate of invalidating more than 54 PAE patents. The collaboration deepened in 2024 with additional companies contributing. This proactive defense protects open source projects from costly litigation that could undermine open source development.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Source | +toward | primary | +1.00 |
| Open Source Licensing Integrity | +toward | secondary | +0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | +0.664 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.59)
Evidence (1 signal)
Linux Foundation, OIN, and Microsoft created Open Source Zone invalidating 54+ patent troll patents
In 2019, the Linux Foundation collaborated with Open Invention Network and Microsoft to create the Open Source Zone with Unified Patents, leveraging prior art to challenge patents owned by Patent Assertion Entities targeting open source. Over five years, the initiative invalidated more than 54 PAE patents, with additional companies contributing in 2024.