Open source firm SUSE has completed the process of acquisition by its fourth owner — Swedish growth investor EQT — and says it would now be the largest independent open source company, a status that Red Hat once enjoyed until it was bought by IBM.

Germany-based SUSE Linux has gone through its fourth sale in the last 15 years, with the new owner, Swedish growth investor EQT, having acquired the company from current owner, Britain's Micro Focus, for US$2.535 billion, with the UK firm using the proceeds to repay part of its existing debt.

American technology companies may be required by law to inform the government if they permit countries seen as enemies — China and Russia, for example — access to the source code of applications that are being used by the US military.