[Fwd: Open Invention Network & Skolelinux]

Hello Ronny,

I've had great difficulty trying to determine the Project Owner for the Skolelinux Distribution. I ran across your name in association with an earlier release announcement for Skolelinux and decided I would address this to you and that if you are not the right person, trust that you would forward this to the right person or let me know who I should contact.

In any event, I believe a developer and/or distributor of Skolelinux should be interested in

Open Invention Network LLC (OIN), a company

formed by a group of notable investors ( IBM, Sony, NEC, Red Hat, Philips and Novel )

to promote and protect the worldwide use of Linux.

http://www.openinventionnetwork.com

OIN is an intellectual property company that uses its patents to ensure the openness

of Linux so that developers, distributors and users of Linux offerings can invest in

Linux with fewer worries about intellectual property issues.

The principle motivation & goal behind the creation of OIN was to form a company
that was not focused on creating income or profit for itself, but instead a company that
would help to shield the Linux System from threats of patent infringement by others

whose business models might be opposed to Linux.

The way that OIN achieves this goal is two-fold. First, by acquiring patents
and patent applications principally relevant to the Linux operating environment.

OIN retains these patents in its own portfolio, which currently

numbers some 150 + patents & patent applications to be used for cross-licensing
purposes to defend the Linux System. OIN's intent is to only assert its patents in a
defensive way - against those who attack Linux . Second, by offering
a free license to OIN's patents in return for an agreement that the licensed party will not
assert its patents against the Linux offerings of other OIN Licensees.

So, the way this works, is that if Skolelinux were to become an OIN licensee, you

pay no money for the license and obtain the right to develop and

market all products under the protection of OIN's patents. Further, you

would obtain the additional right to develop and market Linux offerings

consistent with the Linux System not only under the protection of OIN's

patents, but also under the protection of the patents of all other OIN Licensees

such as under the extensive portfolios of the original investors listed above

plus a growing number of new licensees such as Oracle, Google,

Canonical (Ubuntu) and others.

Thus the central idea behind the formulation of OIN is that as participants in the Linux

environment bond together under a common and no fee licensing arrangement where

they collectively agree not to assert patents against each other's Linux offerings and

where they are each also licensed under OIN's portfolio, those participants will be operating

with much less risk of intellectual property issues that would otherwise dampen the

expansion and protection of the worldwide use of Linux. .

Thank you for the opportunity to share this with you. Please look over the attached copy of

OIN's Patent License Agreement and let me know if I may answer any questions that you might

have. Hopefully, you will conclude that Skolelinux should become a member of OIN's community

because by doing so you will enhance the protection of your own Linux efforts and will obtain

recognition as a supporter of open access to intellectual property for Linux.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Pete

____________________________
Peter D.(Pete) Montano
Open Invention Nework, LLC
email: primo_ibm@yahoo.com
Office Phone: 704-341-5888
Cell Phone: 704-904-1333