HOW OVHCLOUD HARMONIZES OPEN INNOVATION AND PATENTS
HOW OVHCLOUD HARMONIZES OPEN INNOVATION AND PATENTS
Innovation and open source are fundamental to OVHcloud’s identity, a commitment evident since its founding. Simultaneously, like many companies, OVHcloud frequently patents its innovations. While this might appear contradictory, it is not: open source and patents are complementary, working together to protect and advance free innovation.
Fostering a culture of open and collaborative innovation is central to OVHcloud business model. With its developers’ teams, OVHcloud strives to provide open, interoperable, and transparent cloud solutions that meet the customer needs while promoting the open-source philosophy.
OVHcloud is indeed a proactive member of the open-source community, having contributed to the development of numerous tools, solutions, and technologies in cloud computing and IT infrastructure over the years. “Whenever possible, we release our software under open-source licenses” explains Solène Morin, a lawyer in OVHcloud's Intellectual Property Department and open-source specialist. OVH's projects are available on GitHub (https://github.com/ovh), allowing the developer community as well as OVHcloud’s customers to see how these projects are built, contribute to them, and adapt them to their own needs.
EMPOWERING THE DEVELOPER COMMUNITY
OVHcloud's dedication to open innovation is a hallmark of its identity, advocating for European and international initiatives. For example, OVHcloud is a founding member of Gaia-X, a Franco-German cloud project initiative for the European Union aimed at ensuring interoperability standards, preventing users from being constrained to a single provider.
OVHcloud is also a member of several nonprofit organizations, such as the Linux Foundation, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, and the OpenStack Foundation, all of which promote an open cloud and support the developer community.
Moreover, beyond institutional involvement, the company co-developed the Hermine software with Orange, Enedis, RTE, Lectra, and inno3. This is the first open-source tool that analyzes the licenses of open-source components used in software creation to ensure legal compliance, thereby safeguarding developers and users in their creation process.
A PRIMARILY DEFENSIVE PATENT APPROACH
Alongside developers, OVHcloud’s family includes R&D engineers who contribute to technological innovation and the company's growth. These innovations have led to the filing of over 130 patent families in software, cooling, mechanics, and electronics. A notable innovation is water cooling, where OVHcloud has pioneered advancements. Initially developed to reduce OVHcloud's energy consumption, this server cooling technology now benefits others.
Contrary to popular belief, OVHcloud does not use patents to create a lucrative monopoly. “Even though they grant a temporary monopoly, patents also have a contributive purpose” explains Margaux Theriez, Patent Engineer in the Intellectual Property Department. “They are published in a public database, and once the protection period expires, they become freely usable by everyone. This approach contributes to the broader innovation landscape, rather than sticking to a logic of protection through secrecy.”
Furthermore, patents provide OVHcloud's developers and engineers with recognition for their innovations, even after the patent has entered the public domain. This recognition extends internally, as inventors receive additional compensation for their innovations. The company also makes a point to communicate about new patents to its employees and highlight the work of its R&D teams.
ENSURING FREE USE OF SOFTWARE PATENTS
In addition to recognition and contributing to innovation, OVHcloud's patent strategy is primarily defensive. “This portfolio helps deter attacks against OVHcloud, especially in a highly competitive and innovative field like the cloud” comments Audrey Plantureux, Head of Intellectual Property. By holding software patents, the company possesses a bartering system to protect itself against attacks from competitors who file thousands of patents annually.
As a member of the Open Invention Network, the largest non-aggression patent community in history, OVHcloud goes further by committing to the free use of its software developments, even when patented.
In a “patent pledge” published on its website, OVHcloud reiterates its commitment to using “only Open Source Licenses, which help to limit the risk posed by software patents” for its open-source software. The company also pledges not to enforce its software patents against “any person or entity that develops, distributes, uses, or sells a service based on an Open Source Community Project.”
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Promoting free innovation and supporting the open-source community while being protected against attacks in a highly competitive field is OVHcloud's philosophy. As its employees develop tomorrow's innovations, whether in artificial intelligence or sustainability, OVHcloud is well-positioned to continue playing a key role in the cloud sector, leveraging its R&D capabilities, values, and open-source culture.