Open Invention Network safeguards Open Source Software from patent risk.
Open Invention Network is the largest Patent Non-aggression community. Over 4,000 OIN community members collectively own 3 million patents & applications. They pledge not to assert their patents in core Open Source Software through OIN’s cross-license, preserving freedom to innovate in covered technologies.
Open Invention Network safeguards Open Source Software from patent risk.
Open Invention Network is the largest Patent Non-aggression community. Nearly 4,000 OIN community members collectively own 3 million patents & applications. They pledge not to assert their patents in core Open Source Software through OIN’s cross-license, preserving freedom to innovate in covered technologies.
Join our Community of Global Leaders
OIN is the largest patent non-aggression community in history. Together, we support freedom of action in Linux as a key element of Open Source & help members reduce patent risks.
OIN believes greater diversity of thought, perspective and talent drives higher levels of innovation. We promote the idea that Open Source technologies provide a new business model which distills collective and global intelligence.
Over 4,000
Community Members
Members from 157
Countries
Join our Community of Global Leaders
OIN is the largest patent non-aggression community in history. Together, we support freedom of action in Linux as a key element of Open Source & help members reduce patent risks.
OIN believes greater diversity of thought, perspective and talent drives higher levels of innovation. We promote the idea that Open Source technologies provide a new business model which distills collective and global intelligence.
4,000
Community Members
157
Countries
“Freedom to participate in Open Source projects and adopt Linux and other Open Source code has been enabled through broad based participation in the OIN cross-license, which has become a litmus test for authenticity in the Open Source community. Joining the OIN community demonstrates an explicit recognition among signatories of a commitment to Open Source technologies and the set of norms required around the appropriate use of patents in an increasingly Open Source-centric world. Companies that do not sign the OIN license and refuse to participate in this rapidly growing community are explicitly or implicitly reserving the right to use their patents to litigate on core Linux and OSS functionality.”
Keith Bergelt
CEO | Open Invention Network
“Freedom to participate in Open Source projects and adopt Linux and other Open Source code has been enabled through broad based participation in the OIN cross-license, which has become a litmus test for authenticity in the Open Source community. Joining the OIN community demonstrates an explicit recognition among signatories of a commitment to Open Source technologies and the set of norms required around the appropriate use of patents in an increasingly Open Source-centric world. Companies that do not sign the OIN license and refuse to participate in this rapidly growing community are explicitly or implicitly reserving the right to use their patents to litigate on core Linux and OSS functionality.”
Latest News & Events
➜ Industry News
IDIS: South Korea’s largest video surveillance manufacturer joins OIN.
In 2025, IDIS, South Korea's leading video surveillance manufacturer, joined the Open Invention Network (OIN), a move that further strengthens its commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration within the Open Source community. By becoming a community member of OIN, IDIS demonstrates its dedication to advancing …
➜ OIN In The News
Open Invention Network: 20 Years of Protecting Open Source Innovation
March 20, 2025 — Patent Lawyer Magazine interviews Keith Bergelt, OIN’s CEO to explore how the organization has safeguarded Open Source innovation for nearly 2 decades, discuss the importance of Open Source, uncover how OIN is tackling current and emerging patent threats and what lies …
➜ Press Releases
OIN Surpasses 4,000 Community Members, Continues to Expand its Patent Protection of Open Source
Recent licensees include Anker, BBC, China Mobile, China Telecom, Electrolux, Foxconn, NatWest, Olympus, RELX Group, Renesas, Schneider Electric, and Wells Fargo, among many others. Durham, NC (February 18, 2025) – Open Invention Network (OIN), the only institution focused on mitigating patent risk in open source …