Open source software as digital platforms to innovate

This article provides evidence that organizations routinely leverage Open Source Software (OSS) infrastructure to innovate. It does so by showing that they tend to synchronize both activities, based on an analysis of the timing of patent filings and OSS submissions using a novel database that links two decades of contributions to 98 of the most popular OSS projects with patent filings in the United States for 1556 organizations. These organizations represent the 26.6 % of all patents granted and the 48 % of all OSS contributions to these projects over the period. The results show that this synchronization has intensified over time, predominantly occurs in projects governed by permissive licensing structures, and extends beyond contributions made to open-source projects where the contributing entity holds ownership or control.