One of the key strengths of the
open source cooperative-development paradigm is that,
"by law(!),
no single entity 'owns it.'"
Instead, literally-thousands of developers (and companies ...), around the world,
contribute to various common objectives. Each of them does so because their vital business interests
are protected, albeit in a very unique and hitherto-unconventional way. They contribute to the collective project,
(a) because they derive the benefit of both theirs and everyone-else's contributions, and
(b) because no one is
permitted to assert that they have "a proprietary interest" in the work-product nor in any portion of it. This is all "established, settled,
international Law."
Obviously, "Linux is
big(!) business, now," and major corporate interests are busy making rather substantial evolutions to it ...
(systemd rather-inevitably comes to mind ... 
...). But, even
they cannot "own" it, and cannot wall any of the others out. (Many key projects are "open-source on github
et al" because,
by law(!), they
have to be.)
