“Everytime you use Google, you’re using Linux.”

Joining OIN
8/06/2007 09:01:00 PM
Posted by Chris DiBona, Open Source Programs Manager

You’ll often hear members of our open source team say, “Every time you use Google, you’re using Linux.” It’s absolutely true. Check a Google engineer’s workstation, and you’ll probably find it’s running Linux. Do a search on Google.com, and a Linux server will return your results. Ever since Google got its start, Linux has given us the power and flexibility we need to serve millions of users around the world.

Google To Join Group To Protect Linux From Possible Patent Challenge — Google Linux

Google is following IBM and Oracle in circling the wagons around open source Linux. The company is expected to announce Tuesday that it has become a member of the Open Invention Network, a group that pools Linux patents as a means of turning back any patent infringement challenge to Linux.

The addition of Google means seven companies have formed a bulwark of protection around Linux.

“This is a way for everyone to get together and look after Linux development,” said Chris DiBona, open source programs manager for Google in an interview. Every user of the Google search engine is being supported by Linux, and Google manages its internal Web indexing and analysis of Web pages with systems running on clusters of Linux servers. “Linux is very important to Google,” DiBona said.

LinuxWorld : Google ups Linux support as OIN licensee
Becomes Open Invention Network’s first end-user licensee

Google has increased its support for the open-source Linux operating system by becoming Open Invention Network’s first end-user licensee. Set up in 2005, OIN is an intellectual property company focused on acquiring and pooling patents to protect Linux against patent infringement attacks.

Google and OIN made the announcement at the LinuxWorld conference taking place this week in San Francisco.

OIN hopes Google becoming a licensee will result in many other end-user organisations, both large and small, following its lead, according to Jerry Rosenthal, CEO of OIN. “Google clearly wants to see Linux succeed,” he added. “They’ve become much more vocal about their support of Linux.”

What is the OIN? Read this.

This entry was posted by Colin Dodd on Tuesday, August 7th, 2007 at 8:38 am and is filed under Truth. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.