Redmond (ip-192.com): The Open Invention Network (OIN) is reportedly near a deal to buy a group of approximately 200 patents connected to Linux that the Allied Security Trust won control of in an auction by Microsoft. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the group hopes to fend off potential litigation threatened by Microsoft. The Redmond based company has already sued Dutch GPS device manufacturer Tom Tom NV, alleging that it violated some patents owned by Microsoft and related to Linux.
The OIN is a consortium of companies with significant business interests in Linux, including IBM, Red Hat, Cisco Systems, Hewlett Packard, and AST. The group led by IBM and Red Hat is reportedly close to a deal to acquire patents Microsoft formerly owned in a move to ward off potential legal action regarding the continued use of the Linux operating system.
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