Search giant Google (GOOG +10.06%) has now detailed a new open source patent initiative, the Open Patent Non-Assertion, or OPN, Pledge. Amid the escalating patent wars within the tech sector, Google is expressing its belief that "open systems win." The company says that open source software has been responsible for much of the innovation within the cloud and mobile revolutions.
Google is starting off by identifying 10 patents related to processing large data sets that will be included in its OPN Pledge. The company has committed not to sue any user, distributor, or developer of patents that it has identified as open, unless it is "first attacked."
The company is hoping to set an example for the rest of the industry, as patent litigation has dramatically increased in recent years alongside intensifying competition.
