IBM Patents Developer Payment Method
As IBM continues down the path of Open Source and Linux support, they are also continuing their efforts – in full force – with proprietary software and intellectual property. I recently read where IBM has filed the most patents of any company in 2003. It was also interesting to learn from this article that one half of their patents are coming from software, along with generating ~$1 billion in *PROFIT* from licensing their technologies.
Thit article hit me as almost amusing … they have now patented a process for paying Open Source developers to create software. So the Open Source community will have to pay IBM to license this process if they happen to conflict with the patent or violate any of the claims. Who pays licensing fees for the Open Source community? (Ok … I’m kidding!)
IBM Patents Developer Payment Method
Darryl K. Taft, eWEEKIn a nod to the open-source development model, IBM has patented a scheme that maps out a method of payment for broad numbers of developers working together on projects, a move that has upset some developers. The patent describes the current software development environment, where pressure to turn out quality software quickly is pushing companies to rely on developers outside their corporate walls. IBM’s patent defines a mechanism for paying programmers who work in an open-source-like model.