Why the software world needs a 'no-fly zone' for patents

The software industry may be just as notable for its nasty legal battles as for its many useful products, but for the past 10 years, the Open Invention Network has been quietly working to change all that.Launched back in 2005, the OIN was formed by IBM, Novell, Philips, Red Hat and Sony to create a protected zone of patents around core Linux and open source software technologies -- functionality that's essential for open source projects and companies like OpenStack, Linux, Red Hat, SUSE, Android