Author: Daniel Robinson 2016-10-14 11:51:01
Published on: 2016-10-14T11:51:01+00:00
The Defensive Patent License (DPL) has been criticized for being dangerous for Bitcoin users, as it allows companies that join DPL to enforce their patents against anyone who has not joined. Furthermore, the license is revocable by signers, which could lead to new Bitcoin users being forced to pay royalties. However, a dedicated Bitcoin-related defensive patent pool, similar to Linux's Open Invention Network, could strategically deploy patent licenses to incentivize cooperation and punish aggressors. Additionally, changing the Bitcoin Core license to something like an Apache2/LGPL3 dual license could ensure the copyright license also has anti-patent protections. The Apache 2.0 license contains an explicit patent license grant and terminates that license if the licensee asserts a claim alleging that the covered work infringes a patent. This might be an effective deterrent against bringing patent claims based on alleged infringement in Bitcoin Core. Upgrading to the Apache license for new releases and contributions would be feasible, leaving already-existing code and previous releases under the MIT license (a copyright "soft-fork").
Updated on: 2023-06-11T20:22:50.860581+00:00