ByteDance, TikTok's Parent Company, Joins the Open Invention Network (zdnet.com) 12
ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, has joined the Open Invention Network (OIN), the world's largest non-aggression consortium that protects Linux and related open-source software and the companies behind them from patent attacks and patent trolls. ZDNet reports: The OIN recently broadened its scope from core Linux programs and adjacent open-source code by expanding its Linux System Definition to other patents such as the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and the Extended File Allocation Table exFAT file system. By becoming a licensee and community member of OIN, ByteDance will be sharing its other patents to Helo, Resso, and the Chinese specific programs Toutiao, Douyin, and Xigua.
Why is ByteDance doing this? Because, like many other companies, including Microsoft, they consider "Linux and adjacent open source software as key elements for our business," said Lynn Wu, ByteDance's Chief IP Counsel. Wu continued, "ByteDance's participation in the OIN community shows our consistent commitment to shared innovation. We will continue to support it with patent non-aggression in core Linux and other important open-source software technologies." ByteDance may also have joined because its biggest fellow Chinese rival, Kuaishou, recently joined the OIN. In recent years, many Chinese firms, such as hardware giant Inspur, have joined forces with the OIN.
Why is ByteDance doing this? Because, like many other companies, including Microsoft, they consider "Linux and adjacent open source software as key elements for our business," said Lynn Wu, ByteDance's Chief IP Counsel. Wu continued, "ByteDance's participation in the OIN community shows our consistent commitment to shared innovation. We will continue to support it with patent non-aggression in core Linux and other important open-source software technologies." ByteDance may also have joined because its biggest fellow Chinese rival, Kuaishou, recently joined the OIN. In recent years, many Chinese firms, such as hardware giant Inspur, have joined forces with the OIN.
Why is Bytedance doing this? (Score:4, Insightful)
Because it makes the optics look good. It is entirely a political move and no one should be surprised it happened after they got their political commissar.
Re: (Score:1, Flamebait)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
It's just smart business. 1,300 free patent licens (Score:3)
By joining OIN (for free), a company gets free licenses to at least 1,300 patents, and growing.
OIN membership just makes good business sense if either of these are important to your business
Linux
Systems that do something that some Linux software also does, such as using exFat storage.
If you have a small company, you gain protection from patent lawsuits by much larger companies.
The only reason you would not want to join is if you have a patent on something that Linux does, you plan to enforce that patent, an
Re: (Score:2)
And if Chinese companies respected patents by non-Chinese companies internally, you might have a point. They don't, which means this is entirely a PR move to look good outside of China.
Re: (Score:2)
And if Chinese companies respected patents by non-Chinese companies internally, you might have a point. They don't, which means this is entirely a PR move to look good outside of China.
Their software runs on US smartphones, they have US offices and business units, they're certainly vulnerable to US patent lawsuits.
Ultimately, if you don't plan to use your patents offensively, then joining the OIN makes good business sense. It gives ByteDance a little bit of protection and a little bit of PR, just like every other member of OIN.
Just because the company may have ulterior motives elsewhere doesn't mean they need one here.
What about non-Linux Kernel? (Score:2)
Translation (Score:2)
Open Source is anti-American (Score:1)