Patent trolls are increasingly targeting cloud-based open source projects, prompting efforts by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation and the Linux Foundation to extend their legal shields over such efforts.
Patent Trolls vs. Open Source: Open Source Matters
The polite term for patent trolls is "non-practicing entities" (NPEs) – organizations that exist solely to extract licensing fees through legal claims of patent infringement.
"They're chasing any technology," explained Joanna Lee, VP of Strategic Programs and Legal at the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), part of The Linux Foundation. "It's a numbers game and it's more profitable to chase widely adopted technologies."
NPEs are increasingly targeting cloud-based open source, Lee said in an interview with The Register, as it has become ubiquitous. She pointed to the Kubernetes project, which has suffered more NPE claims than any other cloud-based software.
