IBM gives 500 patents rights to open source projects

["David Webber \(XML\)" <david@drrw.info>]

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1750358,00.asp

This is indeed an excellent development - and also a 
smart one.  Clearly IBM deems these patents as 
defensive ones anyway - and so making them public
provides a low cost way to ensure the PTO snags
related work for them - instead of IBM IPR teams
having to constantly review that.

This also vindicates the open source approach once
more - and adds further weight for the need for 
OASIS policies to fully enable unfettered open source 
use of OASIS specifications.

Thanks, DW