Source URL: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/24/11/15/018247/open-source-fights-back-we-wont-get-patent-trolled-again?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed
Source: Slashdot
Title: Open Source Fights Back: ‘We Won’t Get Patent-Trolled Again’
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**Summary:**
At KubeCon North America 2024, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) emphasized a collaborative movement against patent trolls that exploit cloud-native technologies. The organization aims to invalidate patents that hinder innovation by encouraging community involvement in identifying “prior art.”
**Detailed Description:**
The text discusses significant points made by CNCF executives at KubeCon North America 2024 regarding the detrimental impact of patent trolls in the cloud-native ecosystem. Here are the major themes:
– **Collective Action Against Patent Trolls:**
– CNCF executive director Priyanka Sharma highlights that patent trolls do not contribute to the ecosystem but instead prey on companies by misusing the legal system.
– The CNCF is advocating for a united front among cloud-native companies, akin to a herd of musk oxen, to deter these trolls and to change the economic model that allows them to thrive.
– **Economic Implications:**
– The current system incentivizes companies to settle rather than fight back due to high litigation costs.
– A collective approach by multiple organizations can disrupt this economic model and reduce the costs associated with legal battles.
– **Legal Strategies:**
– Jim Zemlin from the Linux Foundation shares that they do not negotiate with patent trolls but instead aim to invalidate their patents by collaborating with developers to find evidence of prior art.
– This legal mechanism seeks to eliminate the foundation of patent trolls’ business model, thereby reducing their power.
– **Community Engagement Initiatives:**
– Joanna Lee, CNCF’s VP of strategic programs and legal, encourages organizations to participate actively in this shared defense strategy.
– The announcement of the “Cloud Native Heroes Challenge,” a patent troll bounty program, invites developers to seek and submit prior art that could invalidate problematic patents, promoting community involvement and rewarding participants.
– **Example of Targeted Patent:**
– The challenge specifically targets Claim 1 from the US Patent US-11695823-B1 held by Edge Networking Systems, which describes a broad network architecture for modern cloud systems.
– Participants are motivated to find earlier documentation that can disprove the validity of this patent using any pre-June 13, 2013 material.
This restatement reflects the growing challenges posed by patent trolls in technology sectors, particularly in cloud-native environments, and underscores a proactive community-driven approach to fortifying software rights, fostering innovation, and ensuring the viability of open-source solutions. Such initiatives are crucial for professionals in security, compliance, and infrastructure management, as they navigate the intricate legal landscape surrounding software development and cloud technology.