OIN provides for its 4,000 community members to share their patents and applications with each other (i.e., cross-licenses) in support of Open Source innovation and patent non-aggression.

In other words, OIN protects essential Open Source technologies by facilitating freedom to operate in a patent cross-licensing network. The coverage area or scope of the OIN community cross-license is defined by a list of software packages and is called the Linux System. The Linux System includes core Linux and adjacent Open Source technologies.

To stay up to date with developments in key collaborative Open Source projects, OIN periodically updates the Linux System, typically on an 18-24 month cycle. In a principled process, candidate packages are nominated by key projects and the open source community. They are reviewed for maturity, adoption, licensing and governance by OIN’s Technical Committee as well as a Technical Advisory Council made up of a group of technologists that collectively provide broad expertise and experience in multiple industries.  OIN always applies a conservative, consensus-driven approach to selecting additions to the Linux System.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming an OIN community member, or have any questions about the Linux System, or OIN License Agreement, please contact us.

Any Google Translate language translation provided for below is for convenience purposes only and shall not be of any legal force or effect. The Linux System definition is promulgated in English, and if there are any discrepancies, contradictions or inconsistencies between the Google Translate language translation and the original English language version, the interpretation under the original English language version shall govern and prevail.

OIN facilitates the sharing of patent rights between thousands of OIN community members, and the coverage for sharing is called OIN’s “Linux System”. The definition of the Linux System relevant to the OIN license agreement is described on this page and associated tables.

Effective as of August 26, 2024

“Linux Kernel” shall mean the software package(s) identified as “kernel” in the Linux Environment Component.

“Linux Environment Component” shall mean any of the software packages whose released source code shall be identified on the OIN website, including bug fixes and error corrections thereto, or a Predecessor Release or Successor Release of any of such packages.

“Linux System” shall mean a Linux Environment Component or any combination of such components to the extent each such component is (i) generally available under an Open Source License or in the public domain (and the source code for such component is generally available) and (ii) Distributed with, or for use with, the Linux Kernel (or is the Linux Kernel).

“Open Source License” shall mean a license that conforms to the Open Source Definition (Version 1.9) as published by the non-profit organization known as the Open Source Initiative (OSI).

“Predecessor Release” shall mean as to any Linux Environment Component, a previous release of such Linux Environment Component the overall functionality of which is the same as or a subset of such Linux Environment Component, but to which such Linux Environment Component may have added bug fixes, modifications for compatibility, performance enhancements (e.g. increasing execution speed, code maintainability, or bug resistance), or functional enhancements or new functionality.

“Successor Release” shall mean, as to any Linux Environment Component, a later release of such component that has the same overall functionality as such component and (a) is Distributed by an open source maintainer of the component which maintainer is identified on the OIN website, to the extent such later release contains modifications to existing functionality for: compatibility (e.g., standards compliance or porting), performance enhancements (e.g., increasing execution speed, code maintainability, security or bug resistance), usability, and localization and internationalization, but to the extent the later release contains new functionality which does not exist in such component, the portion of the later release providing such new functionality is not included as part of “Successor Release”; or (b) is Distributed by one not identified as a maintainer of the component on the OIN website, but in the case of this clause (b) only to the extent of the same code as in such component or in a later release described in the foregoing clause (a). To the extent that any later release described in the foregoing clause (b) contains code that does not exist in such component or in a later release described in the foregoing clause (a), such code is not included as part of “Successor Release.”

The Linux Environment Components consist of the software packages identified below in Tables 1 and 2, as such packages’ currently-released source code as of November 8, 2005 is identified on the OIN website, and in Table 3, as such package’s currently-released source code as of May 1, 2012 is identified on the OIN website, and in Table 4, as such package’s currently-released source code as of October 31, 2012 is identified on the OIN website, and in Table 5, as such package’s currently-released source code as of September 10, 2013 is identified on the OIN website, and in Table 6, as such package’s currently-released source code as of March 7, 2014 is identified on the OIN website, and in Table 7, as such package’s currently-released source code as of June 25, 2015 is identified on the OIN website, and in Table 8, as such package’s currently-released source code as of July 13, 2017 is identified on the OIN website, and in Table 9, as such package’s currently-released source code as of January 17, 2019 is identified on the OIN website, and in Table 10, as such package’s currently-released source code as of December 22, 2020 is identified on the OIN website, and in Table 11, as such package’s currently-released source code as of March 31, 2022 is identified on the OIN website, and in Table 12, as such package’s currently-released source code as of August 26, 2024 is identified on the OIN website.

Subject to the limitations with respect to Sony and Philips as set forth below, to the extent that any of the Linux Environment Components identified in this edition implement DVR functionality, an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) and/or DVD video functionality, such implementations shall be deemed not covered as a “Linux Environment Component”. For purposes of the foregoing, “DVR functionality” shall mean (a) the capability to record, time-shift, play back and manipulate TV programs or (b) a user interface specifically designed to implement such capability; and “DVD video functionality” shall mean (a) the capability to play back, navigate and manipulate a DVD video program or (b) a user interface specifically designed to implement such capability.

Subject to the limitations with respect to Sony and Philips as set forth below, to the extent that any of the Linux Environment Components identified in this edition contain audio, still video and/or motion video Codecs, such Codecs shall be deemed not to constitute a Linux Environment Component unless expressly set forth in Table 0 below. For the purpose of the foregoing, “Codec” shall mean a component of a program capable of performing transformations of a video, still image or audio data stream or signal, which component can (i) put the stream or signal into an encoded form for transmission or storage and/or (ii) decode such form for viewing, listening or manipulation in a format more appropriate for such operations.

With respect to licenses to and from Sony and Philips only, to the extent that any of the Linux Environment Components as identified in Table 3, Table 4, Table 5, Table 6, Table 7, Table 8, Table 9, Table 10, Table 11, and/or Table 12 in this edition (and, if Your Agreement Date is later than May 1, 2012, as also identified in Tables 1 and 2 in this edition) implement the following functionality, formats, or features, such implementation shall be deemed not covered as a Linux Environment Component: (i) DVR functionality, (ii) Electronic Program Guide (EPG) functionality, (iii) DVD Video functionality, (iv) Blu-ray functionality, (v) the Blu-ray format, (vi) Receiver functionality, (vii) Wireless Networking functionality, (viii) Content Matching and Identification and Recommendation functionality, (ix) Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology, (x) Lighting Control, (xi) User Interface technology, (xii) Digital Display technology, (xiii) Camera functionality, and (xiv) in the case of Philips but not Sony, Virtualization technology.

For purposes of the immediately foregoing paragraph only, the following definitions shall apply:

(i) “DVR functionality” shall mean (a) the capability to record, time-shift, play back and manipulate video content or (b) a user interface specifically designed to implement such a capability;

(ii) “Electronic Program Guide (EPG) functionality” shall mean the functionality to receive, obtain, process, create, use, or interact, with an EPG, the UI and technical functionality to interact with and use the EPG. An EPG shall mean “a digitally displayed and navigable program guide detailing the program listings of available video content from one or more content suppliers;

(iii) “DVD video functionality” shall mean (a) the capability to record, play back, retrieve, navigate, manipulate, and/or generate an image in whole or in part from a DVD video program or (b) a user interface specifically designed to implement such a capability;

(iv) “Blu-ray functionality” shall mean (a) the capability to record, play back, retrieve, navigate manipulate, and/or generate an image in whole or in part from Blu-ray data or (b) a user interface specifically designed to implement such a capability; for the purpose of this clause (iv), “Blu-ray data” is any disc or data that in whole or in part conforms or is intended to conform with all or any portion of the requirements of the Blu-ray format;

(v) “The Blu-ray format” shall mean all that is set forth in the Blu-ray disc specifications as specified by the Blu‐ray Disc Association, as modified and/or updated from time to time by the Blu-ray Disc Association;

(vi) “Receiver functionality” shall mean the implementations based on a broadcast-related standard, and/or the capability to receive, request, process, transform, forward, (re)distribute, or render, signals comprising audio and/or video or program information, including subtitling and metadata processing and including a user interface specifically designed to implement such a capability;

(vii) “Wireless Networking functionality” shall mean the capability to interface wirelessly using any wireless network connection, mobile phone network, mobile data network, or wireless point‐to-point connection including support for this capability in the higher network layers;

(viii) “Content Matching and Identification and Recommendation functionality” shall mean the analysis, identification, and optional matching and recommendation, including approximate matching, of content using identifiers derived from various sources, including, but not limited to: (i) the content data structure on physical media; (ii) a specific portion of the content; (iii) a random portion of the content; (iv) textual or numeric data associated with the content; (v) intrinsic or artificially added features of or related to the content; and (vi) any combination of the above;

(ix) “Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology” shall mean technology for managing and controlling access to digital content and/or devices, device authentication, secure transactions, and trust management;

(x) “Lighting Control” shall mean technology for asset management and operation control of light sources and systems;

(xi) “User Interface technology” is technology for human-computer interaction, including interaction and appearance of applications, and remote control technology;

(xii) “Digital Display technology” is technology for digital displays, including televisions and PC monitors, and including subtitle and/or closed captioning processing, coding and/or decoding; securely transmitting video data; receiving, converting and/or displaying signals of different formats; selecting channels; generating, selecting and/or controlling menu displays, functions therein, or display characteristics thereof;

(xiii) “Camera functionality” shall mean technology for image capturing and storing of image data in memory; and

(xiv) “Virtualization technology” shall mean technology to implement a virtual or real machine in software, including ahead-of-time and just-in-time compilation technology.

With respect to licenses to and from Sony and Philips only, to the extent that any of the Linux Environment Components as identified in Table 3, Table 4, Table 5, Table 6, Table 7, Table 8, Table 9, Table 10, Table 11, and/or Table 12 in this edition (and, if Your Agreement Date is later than May 1, 2012, as also identified in Tables 1 and 2 in this edition) contain Codecs, such Codecs shall be deemed not to constitute a Linux Environment Component unless expressly set forth in Table 0 below. For the purpose of this paragraph only, “Codec” shall mean a component of a program capable of performing analysis or transformations of a television or video (including 3D stereo or multi-view video), still image, still image sequences, or audio data stream or signal, which component can (i) put the stream or signal into an encoded form for transmission or storage and/or (ii) decode or render such form for viewing, listening or manipulation in a format more appropriate for such operations.