IBM drives open business

This is fantastic. IBM has announced that it will voluntarily publish its patent filings on the Internet. The upside is that it is taking the lead in creating a clearer, less confused, higher quality patent landscape. The (potential) downside is that it exposes its technology directions and strategy to its competitors as they develop rather than once they’re implemented. The great thing about this kind of leadership in creating openness and transparency in business is that it usually is a ratchet – once it becomes more open, it is very hard for it to go back. There are plenty of businesspeople who hate the idea of open business, and fight it in every aspect of how they do business. Too bad for them. We are shifting to a world of open business at a very tidy pace, and I for one think that’s a great thing. Embrace it, or have a tough and miserable time fighting the trend.