“ A large portion of the 3D printing community is within the open source world, while the rest is commercially oriented. Conflicts have occurred, but now there could be a way to reduce them.
The Defensive Patent License is an initiative to develop an open source license that is intended to prevent patent trolling and encourage innovation. Here’s how it works, according to the organizers:
Innovators who opt into the DPL network pledge to forgo any patent litigation against any other DPL user, except when asserting patents defensively. In return, they are eligible to receive royalty-free licenses from every other user’s portfolio. Anyone taking a license must promise to put all of her patents under the DPL. In the event that the patents are sold, DPL users must legally obligate the new owner to abide by prior DPLs. If one ceases offering one’s patents under the DPL, previous licensees keep their DPLs royalty-free, but the leaving user may have her licenses converted from royalty-free to fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms (FRAND) at the discretion of the remaining licensors.”