Inkscape has been invited to join as a member of the Open Invention Network. On Tuesday, the Inkscape Board voted in favor. In so doing we pledge to never use patents aggressively against the Linux System. We would never do this of course so the step is merely symbolic, but an important symbol.
We are joining almost 750 projects and companies from the software industry (see http://www.openinventionnetwork.com/licensees.php) in a pledge that covers over 2,100 Open Source packages. This helps to reduce risk on the core Linux System and other middleware technologies.
Valer Mischenko of OIN sums it up: "This is the largest community to address software patent challenges in the world. The idea is: when everybody pledges freedom, there will be no wars."
For more information, please read on, or go to openinventionnetwork.com
Bryce
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: [Inkscape-board] [REFERENDUM] Should Inkscape Join the Open Invention Network?
Resolved:
The Inkscape Project agrees to join as a member of the Open Invention Network. In so doing we pledge to never use patents aggressively against the Linux System.
Votes:
Five votes in favor, none against. Motion passes.
Josh Andler a Johan Engelen a Bryce Harrington a Jon Cruz a Tavmjong Bah a
(Votes not received from Ted Gould and Mental Guy)
http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_name=20140225080118.GB22...
On Sun, Feb 23, 2014 at 11:38:07PM -0800, Bryce Harrington wrote:
Proposal:
[ ] a. Join the Open Invention Network (OIN). Pledge that the Inkscape organization would never use patents aggressively against the Linux System. [ ] b. Remain independent from the Open Invention Network.
Background:
Hi Bryce,
My name is Valer and I am writing to you on behalf of the Open Invention Network (OIN). Our mission is to support projects developing or using Linux-related and open source technology by deterring patent aggression.
We do this through a community that pledges not to assert patents against each other over the Linux System technology. This pledge covers over 2,100 Open Source packages. It is structured to reduce risk on core operating system and middleware technologies. Almost 750 projects and companies from all areas of technology creation, deployment and use have joined our community so far (see not very up to date list: http://www.openinventionnetwork.com/licensees.php)
We want to invite Inkscape to our community.
You may be interested in our community credentials and to get some more context about our work. Here is an endorsement from Eben Moglen, Chairman of the Software Freedom Law Center: http://emoglen.law.columbia.edu/now/organizations/OIN
Here is an endorsement from Jim Zemlin, Executive Director of the Linux Foundation: http://www.linux-foundation.org/weblogs/jzemlin/2009/09/09/protecting-linux-...
Our community is free to join. The only thing we want is a pledge that Inkscape would never use patents aggressively against the Linux System. Of course it never will, and that's a symbolic gesture, but it remains very important for our work. When we also bind big companies with this pledge we are sure they will not attack ç in this context for example. But their participation in OIN is also very important in various other aspects.
And these companies are numerous. For example Valve Software and Dropbox are on of the latest bigger companies joined in. UnitedStack from China joined just a weeks hours before. Pretty much everyone else is in there too, from Red Hat to GNOME, Fujitsu to CentOS, Google to KDE to OpenStack Foundation. This is the largest community to address software patent challenges in the world. The idea is: when everybody pledges freedom, there will be no wars.
We are passionate supporters of the Linux System and open innovation. I hope we can work together by welcoming Inkscape to our non-aggression community. Every single voice helps us face current market challenges while investing in a more collaborative future.
Attached is a very short overview of OIN + FAQs, but I am happy to answer any questions and to explain in more detail why the pledge of Linux System and open source patent non-aggression is so important for open innovation.
May you decide positively there is a possibility to sign online: http://licenses.openinventionnetwork.com
Please consult to Johan, Tavmjong, Ted and Josh and let me know what you guys think.
Regards, Valer Mischenko, Open Invention Network
www.openinventionnetwork.com
Em Qua, 2014-02-26 às 18:18 -0800, Bryce Harrington escreveu:
Inkscape has been invited to join as a member of the Open Invention Network.
This is important news. Why isn't posted on the inkscape.org[1] site?
[1] http://inkscape.org/en/news/
On Fri, Feb 28, 2014 at 05:41:02PM -0300, Vinícius dos Santos Oliveira wrote:
Em Qua, 2014-02-26 às 18:18 -0800, Bryce Harrington escreveu:
Inkscape has been invited to join as a member of the Open Invention Network.
This is important news. Why isn't posted on the inkscape.org[1] site?
It will, be patient... I already have a blurb written for it, but I just posted about the book campaign, and I didn't want to bump the GSoC news item off the main page too quickly.
Perhaps we could make the GSoC item sticky (maybe it could replace the "Developers" block for a few weeks?)
Bryce
Em Sex, 2014-02-28 às 13:52 -0800, Bryce Harrington escreveu:
[...] Perhaps we could make the GSoC item sticky (maybe it could replace the "Developers" block for a few weeks?)
Well, the wait and publish seems a good plan for me. No need to bother.
About the OIN cooperation. What is the suggestion direction when we create a new algorithm for Inkscape?
I've read a post[1] on the Qt blogs some time ago about the OIN and it seems important to have an active cooperation between the two parties if we want to make the OIN protection effective.
[1] http://www.kdab.com/defensive-patent-publication-qt-type-erased-iteration/?u...
On Fri, 2014-02-28 at 13:52 -0800, Bryce Harrington wrote:
Perhaps we could make the GSoC item sticky (maybe it could replace the "Developers" block for a few weeks?)
The news system itself is not complex and doesn't support bumping, stickiness or categorization itself. But the items are editable in all their detail from the django admin interface.
I thought you may be able to stick the news item to the top by bumping the publishing date, but that just makes it disappear until that time. Let me know if you want the news plugin hacked to have a new sticky feature.
Martin,
participants (3)
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Bryce Harrington -
Martin Owens -
Vinícius dos Santos Oliveira