Patents and the patentability of software has been a topic of much debate. While the debate rages the fact is that software patents exist and in the hands of antagonists to Linux and open source. As such, the community should leverage its common commitment to innovation through open collaboration to participate in a process of ensuring that the future threats to open source posed by poor quality patents are neutralized. If not, we run the risk of having to relive the patent conflicts of today out into the future.
In late 2008, OIN launched the Linux Defenders Program. Linux Defenders is a crowd sourcing initiative designed to make prior art more readily accessible to patent examiners, increase the quality of granted patents and reduce the number of poor quality patents that issue. This will help remove the patent weapons that trolls and corporate antagonists use.