Microsoft joins LOT Network, helping protect developers against patent assertions

Posted Oct 5, 2018 14:03 UTC (Fri) by chadcatlett (subscriber, #126771)
In reply to: Microsoft joins LOT Network, helping protect developers against patent assertions by Gladrim
Parent article: Microsoft joins LOT Network, helping protect developers against patent assertions

OIN's primary benefit, its prime goal too, is for the protection of Linux and it's related ecosystem. I know it has a lot of members and other areas it can benefit, but first and foremost it's goal is protection of members as it relates to Linux and Linux related things.

LOT also has numerous members and covers cases where OIN might not; I'm not saying LOT is better than OIN, just that both can have benefits.

The area I'm unsure on with LOT is how many patients you get access to as the website makes it sound like start-ups get access to three patents with possible eligibility for more via their referral program.

My question is what if a company(say MSFT) who is clearly not a startup joins, how many patients does that company have access to?

Microsoft joins LOT Network, helping protect developers against patent assertions

Posted Oct 5, 2018 15:14 UTC (Fri) by excors (subscriber, #95769) [Link] (1 responses)

From their FAQs, it doesn't sound like startups get access to 3 patents, they get *ownership* of 3 patents (from a pool donated by larger members), with the condition that they don't assert those patents against anyone who was already a LOT member. I get the impression that it's simply an extra incentive for startups to join, presumably because of the danger of startups developing a few new patents then going bankrupt and selling those patents to patent trolls. The benefit to larger members is that they won't be vulnerable to those patent trolls, if the startup has joined LOT.

LOT members are still free to assert patents against each other (except these startup incentive ones). They just can't sell their patents to a patent troll who then sues other LOT members.

Microsoft joins LOT Network, helping protect developers against patent assertions

Posted Oct 5, 2018 23:01 UTC (Fri) by chadcatlett (subscriber, #126771) [Link]

Ahh good points. I only quickly read it their different FAQs, and I see what you are talking about now that I read them again.

OIN definitely seems a better deal in terms of overall goals that align with FOSS.