Infinidat Joined Open Invention Network Community

Infinidat Ltd joins the Open Invention Network, LLC (OIN), a defensive patent pool and community of patent non-aggression which enables freedom of action in Linux.

The OIN was launched in 2005 with the mission to protect Linux. The last decade has seen a rise in software patent suits. Open source developers aren’t any more immune to this threat more than other software vendors. OIN has an industry support with more than 2,450 members that include companies and patents’ owners, such as Google, Sony, Toyota, Philips and IBM.

The members of the community, including Infinidat, are obliged not to attack each other for Linux and open source patent infringement and are obliged to share patents they develop in this field with each other. The community shares great numbers of Linux patents, as cross-licenses among members that can be used without fear of facing litigation. These patents can never result in aggression against any OIN member, even if they are sold to a third party.

OIN also owns a patent pool of approximately 1,200 strategic patents and applications it has acquired. It provides royalty free licenses to any company that joins the community and is committed for the non-aggression terms. This patent pool strengthens the existing patent portfolios of community members.

Infinidat provides petabyte storage solutions for enterprises. The company holds more than 100 registered patents and patent applications, which are an element in its success in the market. The company’s innovation relies on software development based on commercial off-the-shelf hardware.

Keith Bergelt, CEO, Open Invention Network, says: “Given the ongoing importance of data protection and BC, and the exponential growth in cloud computing, we are very pleased to have a software-driven storage innovator such as Infinidat join our network, along with its significant patent holdings. By joining OIN, Infinidat is evidencing a strong commitment to open source technologies and the patent non-aggression environment facilitated by OIN and its participants.“

Orna Yarkoni, patent attorney, Infinidat, says: “In addition to investing in innovation and patents, Infinidat attaches great importance to open source, as a user and as a contributor to the open source community. By joining the OIN, Infinidat expresses its support in protecting the open source community from aggression through unfair use of patents. We believe that the OIN shared patent pool is a key to protecting open source users and of course the open source community, that no one disputes its importance and contribution to the development of innovative and advanced solutions that respond quickly and optimally to the dynamic demands of the market.“