Linux backers form patent-sharing firm

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Three of the world's biggest electronics companies -- IBM, Sony and Philips -- have joined forces with the two largest Linux software distributors to create a company for sharing Linux patents, royalty-free.

[ED.- While the true solution is to ban software patents, which should not have existed in the first place, this won't happen for a while, so this initiative is welcome. Hopefully it will just be a stop-gap measure until people come to their senses. - Tsela]