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This article considers the use of patent promises or pledges, as a device to counter what are often seen in the Open Source world as undesirable consequences of the operation of the patent system. They have become particularly topical in 2017, as the world’s first billion dollar Open Source company, Red Hat, extended it’s patent pledge further in September 2017.
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Amanda Brock has been General Counsel of Canonical – lead sponsor of Ubuntu - since early 2008. She is a lawyer with over 15 years experience of commercial and IT law, more than 10 of these years being in-house working in commercial organisations including as European Manager at DSG International (Europe's biggest computer retailer) and UK Legal Director with Aramark. Whilst working for DSGi she was the first lawyer at the ISP, Freeserve and as a member of the management team, dealt with all legal aspects of the set up and operation of the business through to its IPO in 1999. Amanda gained a masters degree (LLM) with merit in Intellectual Property and IT Law at Queen Mary and Westfield college, University of London (1999) and a Masters in Comparative Jurisprudence (MCJ) from New York University (1992- Rotary International Scholarship). Having studied for her first degree, LLB (Hons) at the University of Glasgow, Amanda is admitted as a solicitor in both England and Scotland. She has presented extensively internationally in businesses, conferences and universities, has published many articles relating to commercial, e-commerce, open source and IP law. She is the author of the book “E-business — the practical guide to the laws” 3rd edition,2011 (Spiramus) and is co-authoring a book on Open Source Law with Andrew Katz. She is an active participant in the FSFE's European Legal Network, is one of the co-authors of its Contract Risk Grid, Chair of its App Store Special interest group and has been very involved in the Linux Foundation's Member's Counsel. She led the FOSS Contribution Agreement Standardisation project, Project Harmony to Phase 1. She is a member of the Board of the QMW, University of London Open Source Centre of Excellence.
Canonical is the commercial sponsor of the open source platform/ operating system, Ubuntu and is head-quartered in Europe.
