Sun Grants Solaris 10 Users Free Access to 1,600 Patents
Sun Microsystems Inc. said it will provide programmers free access to 1,600 patents as part of a plan to make an open-source version of its forthcoming Solaris 10 operating system.
The pledge follows a similar commitment by International Business Machines Corp. that was aimed at bolstering support for the Linux operating system. IBM said earlier this month that it would provide access to 500 patents to developers of such open-source programs.
Patent issues have emerged as one of the biggest worries among fans of open-source products, which take their name from the ability of users to view and modify the instructions used to write a program. Such products are often pieced together by ad hoc groups of programmers from a number of sources, raising fears that creators could be sued for inadvertently violating patents or other intellectual property.
Sun, meanwhile, is hurriedly trying to emulate attributes of Linux, which has helped to drive demand for low-end computers that have taken sales from Sun machines. Solaris 10, like versions of Linux, will be available for free download next week, though Sun plans to make money by selling support services for the product.
The company yesterday formally announced its licensing scheme for making an open-source version of the software, dubbed the Common Development and Distribution License. That document, among other things, gives users of Solaris 10 immunity from any patent claims from using the product.
Scott McNealy, Sun's chief executive officer, said patent immunity could be a big marketing advantage in trying to popularize the company's software in markets such as China, where government agencies want lower software prices and are worried about the possibility of paying patent royalties. Sun's rhetoric differs from that of some U.S. companies, such as rival Microsoft Corp., which are pressing foreign governments to do more to prevent piracy and patent violations.
"I think this will be a very, very big thing on a global basis," Mr. McNealy said.
Sun允许Solaris 10使用者免费使用专利
Sun电子计算机公司(Sun Microsystems Inc., SUNW, 又名：升阳微电脑)表示，将向程序员们提供免费使用1,600项专利的机会，此举是该公司为使其即将推出的Solaris 10操作系统成为开放源代码版本这一计划的部分内容。
为增强对Linux操作系统的支持，国际商业机器公司(International Business Machines Corp., 简称IBM)此前也作出了类似承诺。IBM本月早些时候表示，将向此类开放源代码程序的开发者提供使用500项专利的机会。
Solaris 10系统下周将可免费下载。Sun电子计算机计划通过为该系统提供支持服务来获得收入。
Sun电子计算机昨日就使Solaris 10成为开放源代码系统正式公布了Common Development and Distribution License授权计划。该公司通过此文件使Solaris 10操作系统的使用者不会因使用该产品而遭到任何专利诉讼。
