Open-Source Software & Patents - Protecting Your Clients & Their Innovations

Introduction

Open-source software and patenting might seem like opposed ideologies for dealing with software innovations.

Either your client opens their innovation up to the world, allowing third parties to do what they wish with it, or they lock it down and charge a licence fee to make use of it.

In practice, the interactions between open-source software and patents can be much more complicated.

In particular, the use of certain open-source software licences can partially or entirely negate the effectiveness of related granted patents.

Similarly, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that patents are always the best solution to commercialising any software-related innovations.

While very useful in achieving commercial aims, one must be aware that patents might only be one part of an overall intellectual property strategy to protect your innovations.

These issues are compounded when certain types of open-source software licence find their way into your client’s software repositories.

This virtual classroom seminar will consider all the key issues.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive session will cover the following:

• Open-source software, its underlying philosophy, capabilities, and common types:
• Copyright and its use in open-source licences
• Patents, their underlying philosophy, and capabilities
• Advantages and disadvantages:
• Open-source software
• Patents
• Achieving synergy with an open-source and patenting project
• Achieving synergy with open-source and other IP rights:
• Trademarks
• Designs
• Considerations for an open-source and patenting project:
• Pitfalls
• Mitigation tactics

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.