3 IT giants teamed up with two open source companies pave the way for the Linux universal

Three of the world's largest electronics companies --IBM, SONY and PHILPS, with two of the largest Linux software vendors Red Hat and Novell jointly formed a new company to share Linux patent and copyright dispute resolution.

Zhou Sixin founded the company known as the Network---OIN (Open Invention network), marking how to solve the problem of protecting sellers and consumers from patent disputes made a breakthrough. If the OIN management of intellectual property rights means approved, will be widely used in the Linux system and can pave the way to challenge Microsoft products, the Microsoft Corp has been threatening to face the risk of the law if the use of open source software.

According to market research firm IDC estimates that by 2008 the global Linux system will grow from $20 billion this year to more than $40 billion, the average annual growth rate of up to 25.9%. Initially OIN patent asset company will include a group of e-commerce patents, these patents are purchased from the hands of Novell software company Commerce One by JGR B2B. The patents held by OIN will be provided free of charge to all companies, institutions or individuals, as long as they agree not to charge other persons with the OIN license agreement in the name of the patent.

Traditionally, patents are used to track two main aspects, one is to protect their intellectual property rights, and the other is to sign a cross licensing agreement to obtain the right to use other companies' patents. The establishment of OIN means the emergence of a new cross licensing model, supporters believe that this can stimulate technological innovation. The new company will be located in the Dixichesite county where the headquarter of IBM (Westchester County), responsible for the development of intellectual property management mode to promote Linux technology.