# Summary of #hplusroadmap IRC Log (September 8, 2011)

• A video about the Open Science Summit was shared, along with a companion video titled "Why Do Open Hardware?" (YouTube links were provided but are now likely outdated).

• Detailed discussion about Defensive Patent Licenses (DPL) and the concept of a "fair troll" business model, where an entity acquires patents and sublicenses them for defensive use only while aggressively suing non-participants.

• Concerns were raised about how to prevent a "fair troll" from becoming malicious if it amasses a large patent portfolio, as it wouldn't be bound by the same defensive-use restrictions it imposes on sublicensees.

• Several legal mechanisms were proposed to keep patent trolls honest, including allowing original inventors to nullify patents for a nominal fee ($1) if the troll violates its mission.

• Technical discussion about patent law, including the fact that patents can be invalidated if the list of inventors is incorrect, and exploration of USPTO provisions for disclaiming or dedicating patents to the public.

• A suggestion that multiple competing "fair trolls" might keep each other in check was met with skepticism about its reliability as a safeguard.