This is one of those things that you have to read to believe — the Progress and Freedom Foundation’s James DeLong is getting nervous about IBM’s recent decision to release 500 patents for use by open-source developers. The patent release is not without strings — you can’t take advantage of the patents and then come back and try to hammer open-source developers legally for infringement of some other patent. But it seems clear that boosting open-source development by releasing some part of IBM’s (considerable) patent portfolio for open-source developers to use will boost competition, not hinder it.

That’s not how PFF’s DeLong sees it, however. Delong wrings his hands over IBM’s move, but does so in a way that suggests he doesn’t know the difference between open-source software and commercial software enterprises. (Hint: some open-source developers are in fact for-profit operations, and, as I read it, they’ll get to use IBM’s patents too.) The issue here is not one of commerce versus anti-commerce, but one of two different models of software development in competition with each other.

Additional link:

IBM’s formal commitment letter.

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