Journal LiquidCoooled's Journal: software patents. where are they hiding? 8
Should I be worried about software patents?
I have thought about touch screen user interaction for a long time now, and have written numerous visualizations and interactive controls over the years.
I have a kickass collection of functions and algorithms for all areas of the system but I have never specialized in one specific place.
This year I have started to open my source and release these little ideas and have sent coded up implementations into the wild.
Some of the code is novel, some of it is mundane, other pieces are just weird but give a pretty effect
I've found a nice home within the nokia maemo linux community and my software has been well received amongst its members and beyond.
I bet somewhere I've stepped on somebodies toes and have their patented algorithm in my code.
In reading up about them this evening I find out that the chances are, if you have done anything more than hello world you will have too!
How would I find out what patents I have in my code?
Should I be checking every single function I write against the central registry?
check with the linux kernel hackers, first... (Score:1)
Gary,
There are several online patent searches available. Before you search there, you should look into what the Linux kernel community has done faced with this problem.
I hope you will post your journey as you walk it. I think it would benefit the community.
Re: (Score:1)
hi tim,
no, I have no desire to go down any kind of patenting route, it was idle ponderment.
My code is open (once released versions are out there) and already protected under the GPL.
I have no qualms with anything I create and design being used in other applications and programs, afterall it benefits us directly if I have created something good which people wish to emulate.
Open Source FTW