Artwork: Chip TaylorOpen Invention Network is reportedly buying up a number of Linux-related patents that Microsoft sold the rights to earlier this year. The move allows OIN to retain legal rights to the patents and license them freely to the open source community, thereby ensuring that less-scrupulous buyers don't acquire them and initiate frivolous patent-infringement cases.

The open source community operates from a different point of view as it relates to intellectual property ownership and in generally abhors the concept of patents. However, patent and intellectual property rights exist and the open source community has been forced to both defend itself from patent infringement suits and pursue those who misappropriate open source code.

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