While many open source software companies have actively sought community
input, over time, the majority of code comes to be written by programmers on
staff. This migration from the pure form of open invention to a more hybridized
form of open and owned invention is one way that open-oriented firms can control
their own destiny. The challenge is managing the mix to avoid alienation of
the community, which could precipitate a product war where an open alternative
is created to displace the portion that is protected by IP. Well aware of the
threat of backlash, open source software companies have been known to focus
on developing proprietary code protected by IP only for add-ons that lay outside
the areas of interest of the coders in their open innovation community. Clear
communication with the open innovation community, confirming that a particular
add-on would not be a priority of the community, becomes a managerial
imperative.