Ars Aperta joins the OpenInvention Network

These are almost old news, but it seems that since we’re based in Europe it took some time and went through different channels. Ars Aperta has joined the OpenInvention Network. The question that would immediately pop to some of my readers’ mind would be: what the heck is OpenInvention Network? And then I assume there would be questions about the official position of Ars Aperta in regard of software patents. Let me seize this opportunity to address this quite interesting question. First, the OIN is in the business of acquiring software patents and granting rights on them for free to anyone. Its founders are IBM, Red Hat, Philips, NEC, Sony and Novell. It is actually the opposite of a patent troll, in that it acquires patents in order to open them to the industry. The scope of patents acquired by the OIN covers the whole Linux stack (OpenOffice.org is covered there by the way). The OIN is also in the process of acquiring more and more patents in order to “open them up”.

So what does Ars Aperta have to do about this? Quite simply, we do not believe in software patents. We believe that software patents critically hamper innovation, allow the dominant players to impose their rule and exclude competition. By doing this, they stifle innovation and affect the way people live and use technology. Software patents are a perversion of the patent concept, in spirit as much as in practice. They should not exist, but unfortunately they do. We also know that in regard of the law, software patents do not exist and thus cannot be enforced in the European Union and in France. Things, helas, are changing quickly, and Ars Aperta can be involved in operations covering North America, where software patents exist and are a booming business. Thus we believe that this agreement with OIN is a sound business and legal decision for us and allows the OIN to extend its reach outside the North American market.

We look forward to a day where software patents will not exist anymore and strongly speak in favour of their complete disappearance from North American and European laws. Until then one has to go out covered.

Stay tuned!