# kaal:claim:3808859-024

**Claim.** Expanded patentability chills open source contribution because developers fear inadvertent infringement yet typically lack the knowledge and skills to determine whether their contribution infringes an existing software patent.

**Type.** failure  **Support.** argued

**Holds when.**

- aggravated by the mandatory attestation requirements imposed on Linux contributors in 2004

**Source quote.**

> As a result of the accelerating patentability of open source solutions, developers increasingly fear they could inadvertently infringe patents during the open source development process.

**From.** Wulf A. Kaal, *Decentralization – Why We Need Technology Infrastructure Upgrades* (2021), IV.4 Shortcomings, page 35

**Cite as.** Wulf A. Kaal, Decentralization – Why We Need Technology Infrastructure Upgrades (2021). SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3808859

**Verify.** sha256 of source PDF `304ad25d43b5ecea3158e3a2ca04e6e1e3bd2958e2134e2dcefbfedf3b6f3ab7` at https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wulfkaal/Academic-Papers/main/papers/pdf/Kaal%20-%202021%20-%20Decentralization%20%E2%80%93%20Why%20We%20Need%20Technology%20Infrastructure%20Upgrades.pdf

**Failure mode.** patent uncertainty chills contribution  (family: innovation-chilling)

**Topics.** open-source-and-code, securities-law, institutional-design

**Keywords.** software-patents, open-source, chilling-effect, anticommons

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