D-Link today announced they have become a licensee and community member of Open Invention Network (OIN), the largest patent non-aggression community. As a global leader in networking and connectivity solutions for consumers, enterprises, and service providers, D-Link recognises the benefits and values of supporting the development of open-source software (OSS). The culture of open source is based on engagement, collaboration, and collective intelligence which promote diverse perspectives and the greatest innovations.
By participating in the OIN community, D-Link is demonstrating its commitment to adopting OSS as a foundation for its networking solutions and protecting open source innovations from patent risks.
“More than 70% of D-Link’s networking and communication solutions have implemented open-source software since the beginning phase of research and development,” explained Mark Chen, President of D-Link. “We have and will continue to advocate for OSS and patent non-aggression, and we look forward to making our contributions to the OIN community to encourage innovation.”
“We are pleased D-Link is employing open-source code in its products and welcome its commitment to patent non-aggression in core Linux and adjacent open source technologies required under the OIN license. The diffusion of a common set of values in terms of patent risk mitigation coupled with more broad-based adoption of rigorous compliance management processes creates a context for IP Governance that OIN encourages among all its community members,” said Keith Bergelt, CEO of Open Invention Network.
OIN’s community practices patent non-aggression in core Linux and adjacent open source technologies by cross-licensing Linux System patents to one another on a royalty-free basis. Similarly, OIN licenses its patents royalty-free to organisations that agree not to assert their patents against the Linux System. The OIN license can be signed online at http://www.j-oin.net/