Post # 18: Google, Genuine or Not?

Recently Google chose not to enforce 10 of its patents on Open Source Software. Is this a simple PR stunt or a genuine expression of Google’s caring culture they often promote?

As a reference, Open Source Software is computer software that’s code originally came from and was made available through an open-source licence in which the copyright holder can distribute the software for free to anyone and for any purpose.

This pledging of patents for the sake of Open Source Software is not something new. Indeed, companies such as Computer Associates, IBM and Sun Microsystems publicly chose not to enforce a series of patents they held against Open Source Software. As a result of this, the companies gained positive PR in exchange for a minimal loss in their patent portfolio. Many proclaimed these companies pledges essentially meaningless, when held in comparison to the patent portfolios they own; as the majority of the companies realised a comparatively small amount of patents.

Like the events that occurred in 2005, my personal belief is that Google’s motivation to choose not to enforce 10 of its patents on Open Source Software, was primarily a PR stunt for brand enhancement. This is to be expected of a large public company that from an investor standpoint, cannot afford to give things of real value away for free. Arguably however, the motivation here is irrelevant – Google did pledge these patents and for many it is a step in the right direction for innovation.