As we ponder the implications of business strategy for open initiatives,
a number of emerging business models attempt to balance the benefits of openness
with the need for some value capture for greater sustainability. In addition to the OSS business models noted above, another recent example of an open
strategy was the decision of pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck to create the
Merck Gene Index. This was an initiative in which Merck funded extensive
extramural research activity in universities around the world to produce genetic
markers that could serve as targets for later drug development. Once these
markers were found, they were compiled and published in Merck’s Gene Index.
This created a public domain of knowledge that functioned as an intellectual
commons for Merck.