Nokia issues legally binding Patent Statement for Linux

While Nokia welcomes the recent announcements in the industry where companies have stated express non-assertions with regard to some of their patents, it also believes that the situation would substantially improve, if more supporters of the Linux Kernel and other open source software would take a clear public position on this issue.

Nokia, therefore, issues the legally binding Patent Statement, which has been posted on its website at www.nokia.com/iprstatements . The Patent Statement applies to Nokia’s patents infringed by current official releases of the Linux Kernel and all future official releases of the Linux Kernel to the extent that Nokia has not declared new functionality embodied in such releases to be outside the scope of the Patent Statement. With respect to new functionality introduced into future Linux Kernel releases, Nokia reserves the right to declare that the Patent Statement shall not apply.

Nokia intends to work with the open source community in identifying in advance those functionalities that Nokia would declare to be outside the Patent Statement. Nokia invites each patent holder to make similar statements with regard to the open source software projects it wants to support. While Nokia’s Patent Statement is limited to official releases of the Linux Kernel only, Nokia intends to review whether similar statements can be made with respect to other open source projects in which Nokia is participating.

This post is basically to substantiate on the Open Source direction that Nokia is taking after their launch of the Nokia 770 Internet Surfing Gadget. On 25th May 2005, Nokia issues legally binding Patent Statement for Linux and this has caused Microsoft to jump out of their seats (unconfirmed). When Nokia, the No.1 Mobile Phone company in the world makes a statement like that, some feathers will surely be ruffled and heads will turn. I think it’s a good thing when they speak out like that. Open source is the way of the future anyway.