IBM releases 500 software patents to Open Source Community

In a move that would strengthen Open Source Community’s faith in the tech giant, IBM has decided to open up 500 software patents. This now enable software developers to freely use opened up source code for developing applications without paying royalty to the IBM. IBM while announcing this news said in a press release: “The pledge will benefit any open source software whose source code is published and available for inspection and use by anyone, and which is made available under a license agreement that permits recipients to copy, modify, and distribute the program’s source code without payment of fees or royalties.”

The company however has taken steps to protect itself from lawsuits from other corporations with technologies related to Linux. IBM had this to say in this regard: “IBM reserves the right to terminate this patent pledge and commitment only with regard to any party who files a lawsuit asserting patents or other intellectual property rights against open source software.”

Opera users on the other hand are feeling disappointed as IBM has yet not released voice libraries compatible with Linux Operating System, which Opera uses for Voice Support in their Browser.