In the early 2000s, the idea for OIN was born. It was the 1st organization of its kind to create a new model where patents are openly shared in a collaborative environment to foster innovation in Linux and adjacent Open Source technologies. In no time, OIN became the largest Patent Non-Aggression community in history.
October 2005
OIN Funding Members join OIN
OIN incorporates as a Limited Liability Company (LLC)
November 2005
Jerry Rosenthal becomes 1st CEO
OIN Portfolio Growth
7 patents & 21 patent applications were purchased from Commerce One and transferred to OIN, as a key part of an early portfolio
Linux System Definition starts with Tables 1 & 2
February 2008
Keith Bergelt becomes CEO
September 2009
Defense Patents Purchased
OIN acquires 22 defensive patents from AST to protect Open Source from patent aggressors
November 2010
New Associate Member Program
OIN introduces a new Associate Member Program; Recruits Canonical as its 1st Associate Member. Later, Google & TomTom become Associate Members
May 2012
Linux System Definition Expands with Table 3
October 2012
Linux System Definition Expands with Table 4
February 2013
OIN grows to 500 members
September 2013
Linux System Definition Expands with Table 5
November 2013
Google becomes an OIN Funding Member
December 2013
OIN extends Linux’s protective network to cover OpenStack technologies
March 2014
Linux System Definition Expands with Table 6
1st Asian Legal Network (ALN) Inaugural Conference
OIN, Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) & the Linux Foundation launch & host the 1st Asian Legal Network (ALN) Inaugural Conference
September 2014
OIN surpasses 1,000 members
May 2016
Toyota becomes an OIN Funding Member
July 2016
OIN membership grows to 2,000
July 2017
Linux System Defintion Expands with Table 8
August 2018
OIN Funding Members unanimously support General Public License (GPL) Cooperation Agreement
October 2018
Microsoft joins OIN
Microsoft announced its OIN membership, contributing 60,000 patents to the community; 50 of the “Top 10 Global Companies” based on market value are now community members
December 2018
Alibaba & Ant Financial join OIN
Alibaba & Ant Financial announced their membership with OIN, moving Open Source forward in the Fintech industry
In the News: TechRepublic
TechRepublic names OIN among “The 8 Biggest Open Source Milestones in 2018”
January 2019
Linux System Definition Expands with Table 9
In the News: Security Boulivard
OIN makes Security Boulevard’s list of “The Top 10 FOSS Legal Developments in 2018”
June 2019
OIN membership grows to 3,000
OIN exceeds 3,000 members, following 2 years of 50% growth
November 2019
OIN partners with IBM, Microsoft & the Linux Foundation
OIN partners with IBM, Microsoft & the Linux Foundation to fund a multi-million-dollar, multi-year initiative with Unified Patents’ Open Source Zone to further protect Linux Open Source from Patent Assertion Entities (PAE)
February 2020
OIN supports Software Heritage Foundation
OIN announces it will sponsor & support Software Heritage Foundation, which has more than 6 billion unique Open Source files archived
October 2020
Linux System Definition Expands with Table 9
8th Linux System Definition Expands with Table 9 to include #exFat among 520 new Open Source Software (OSS) packages, bringing OIN’s total software packages to 3,300
November 2020
OIN Celebrates their 15th year anniversary
Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for licensees represent over 50%; OIN’s network includes members from 100 of 195 countries, 20 industry & 11 sectors based on the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)
January 2021
In the News: Patent Invention Magazine
Patent Invention Magazine covers our 15th anniversary celebration & our commitment to protecting the greater Open Source community
OIN Worldwide Membership exceeds 3,500
OIN’s worldwide membership reaches over 3,500
February 2021
Barclays & TD Bank Join OIN
Wells Fargo Patent Troll Case has the finance world all aquiver; Barclays and TD Bank announce their membership with OIN
March 2021
In the News: The Fintech Times
The Fintech Times reports how OIN protects innovation, specifically for Banking & Financial Services
July 2021
In the News: Tech Company News
Tech Company News interviews our CEO Keith Bergelt about the state of Open Source
September 2021
Cryptocurrency Non-Aggression Pact on Patent Suits
Bloomberg breaks the news that Square “Joins Cryptocurrency Non-Aggression Pact on Patent Suits”; Over 12 other international & industry publications cover the story
January 2022
Starting in 2022 OIN welcomes an influx of Banking & Financial Service company members
Linux System Definition expands with Table 11
Linux System Definition expands with Table 11 to add 337 new Open Source Software (OSS) packages, bringing OIN’s total software packages to 3,730
December 2022
Amazon Joins OIN
Amazon becomes an OIN Member & commits its entire portfolio to OIN
OIN publishes reports about the rise of patent litigation in Retail & eCommerce, and Banking & Financial Services
In the News: Dealmakers
Dealmakers conducts an in-depth interview with OIN’s CEO, Keith Bergelt, about the significant changes in Big Tech & whether the fundamental relevance of patents and their future value in the space is shifting
Unified Patents Open Source Zone patent challenges to date
Unified Patents Open Source Zone has challenged 50 patents so far, with an excellent success rate, invalidating 34, determining 7 to be flawed & 3 are awaiting review
OIN members now have royalty-free access to more than 2.8 million patents & applications in total.
January 2023
11 of the World’s Biggest Open Source Companies are OIN members
U.S. Western District of Texas Court rules in favor of Defendant creating another win for OIN & those opposed to Patent Assertion Entities
April 2023
Study demonstrates companies that participate in OIN are more innovative
