Hyundai Motor and Kia join OIN 2.0 community

Modern cars may be powered by gasoline or electricity – but they run on code. Software-defined vehicles, connected-car platforms, and cloud services now depend on Linux and other open-source technologies. That dependence carries some patent risk capable of stalling innovation. Open Invention Network (OIN) exists to neutralize that risk. Today, the organization announced that Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor) and Kia Corporation (Kia) have joined in support of OIN 2.0, the first major Korean companies to do so.

The two automakers join a roster of global automotive leaders already inside the OIN 2.0 community, including Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota. For Hyundai Motor and Kia, both developers of forward-thinking mobility solutions, the move reinforces a commitment to open source as a critical enabler of next-generation technology.

“The pace of open source technology innovation continues to power the global economy. It has spawned new industries and technologies that run the gamut from AI and smartphones to search engines and mobile devices, and everything in between,” said Keith Bergelt, CEO of Open Invention Network. “We greatly appreciate automotive industry leaders Hyundai Motor and Kia joining OIN 2.0 and supporting patent non-aggression. Their participation signals the strategic value of open source.”

While open source participation drives innovation, aggressive corporates and non-practicing entities look to leverage poor quality patents to extort funding of open source developers, distributors and users. In addition to a powerful cross-license, OIN conducts a number of activities that look to hinder patent aggression toward open source.

Founded in 2005, OIN is the only organization solely dedicated to mitigating patent risk in open source software, and it operates the largest active patent cross-license ever assembled. Through participation in OIN 2.0, Hyundai Motor and Kia aim to support open innovation while strengthening a collaborative framework that mitigates the patent risks tied to open source technologies.

The numbers behind OIN’s community are considerable. OIN’s membership now exceeds 4,100 organizations, which together account for more than 3 million patents and applications. That breadth delivers a defensive shield no single firm could build alone.

Launched in 2026, OIN 2.0 marks the organization’s evolution into a sustainable, shared funding model. The model lets OIN expand patent protection coverage as open source software grows across new technologies and industries. It delivers continuously refreshed patent protection to the community, broadens the range of technologies it covers, and reinforces the model to meet the demands of the years ahead.

For Hyundai Motor and Kia, the calculation is forward-looking. As vehicles become rolling software platforms, the companies are securing the legal freedom to build on open source without the threat of patent litigation. In the race to define the connected, autonomous, and electrified vehicle, that freedom is no longer a convenience – it is a competitive necessity.

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