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About OIN

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.

Our Community

With 3,400+ members from more than 100 countries, we’re 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.

Our License Agreement

All members sign the same agreement to cross-license their Linux System patents royalty free in a community which owns over 2.6 million patents & applications. Members also gain access to OIN’s portfolio of 1,100 IP assets.

Join Global Leaders in Our Community

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Join the thousands of people who receive INSIDER, OIN’s bi-monthly eNewsletter delivered directly to your inbox. We promise to keep you informed about OIN initiatives, demonstrate real ways our community members are influencing social change and shaping innovation, tell you about upcoming events, unveil some of the top headlines, introduce you to OIN team members, and capture relevant open source and patent non-aggression news.

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In the News

Shopify Joins the Open Invention Network

Christina Motley2021-05-03T16:58:54-04:00

Durham, NC (May 4, 2021) – Open Invention Network (OIN), the largest patent non-aggression community in history, announced today that Shopify has become a licensee [ … ]

Inspur Joins the Open Invention Network

oin-admin2021-04-22T13:49:26-04:00

Durham, NC (April 13, 2021) – Open Invention Network (OIN), the largest patent non-aggression community in history, announced today that Inspur has become a licensee [ … ]

TD Bank Group Joins the Open Invention Network Community

Christina Motley2021-02-16T12:24:45-05:00

Durham, NC (February 15, 2021) – Open Invention Network (OIN), the organization formed to safeguard open source software (OSS) and now the largest patent non-aggression [ … ]

Media Coverage

Shopify Joins Patent Non-Aggression Network as Competition with Amazon Heats Up

Christina Motley2021-05-10T11:29:20-04:00

May 6, 2021 — betakit — a Canadian start-up news and tech innovation publication — takes a different angle on the news that Shopify has [ … ]

Shopify Joins Linux Patent Claims Initiative

Christina Motley2021-05-09T11:40:56-04:00

May 5. 2021 — OpenNet in Russia covers the news that Shopify, which has developed one of the largest eCommerce platforms for payments and sales [ … ]

Shopify Joins OIN, the Largest Patent Non-Aggression Community in History

Christina Motley2021-05-09T11:39:59-04:00

May 4, 2021 — In looking to ensure that its Open Source-based code used in eCommerce environments is protected from patent aggressors, Shopify has joined [ … ]

What Our Members are Saying

As a global solutions provider that grows with customers and society through the highest level of trust, SMFG is committed to creating businesses that transcend the boundaries of finance and resolving issues. In order to further promote this effort and quickly deliver high added-value services to our customers and society, SMFG believes that the utilization of open source software will be essential. Also, in promoting OSS utilization, SMFG believes that measures to protect intellectual property rights are important. Through joining the OIN, SMFG hopes to deepen our understanding of the OSS community and contribute to the development of OSS.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group

Our Mission: To Enable Open Source

OIN safeguards Open Source and helps our community reduce patent risks in core Linux and adjacent Open Source technologies.