Google: We won't sue open-source users or developers over specified patents

March 28, 2013

Google will not sue any user, distributor or developer of open-source software on specified patents, unless first attacked, the company said on Thursday. Google began the pledge with 10 patents relating to MapReduce, a computing model for processing large data sets first developed at Google of which open-source versions are now widely used, wrote Duane Valz, Google’s senior patent counsel in a blog post. “Over time, we intend to expand the set of Google’s patents covered by the pledge to other technologies,” he said. Google hopes the Open Patent Non-Assertion pledge will serve as an industry model and encourages and encouraged other patent holders to adopt the pledge or a similar initiative, Valz said. Such a pledge provides more transparency among patent holders and developers because they can determine exactly which technologies it will cover, Google said. It also offers defensive protection, Vlaz said. The pledge may be terminated but only if a party brings a patent suit against Google products or services, or is directly profiting from such litigation, Valz added.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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