Eric Waltmire, patent attorney with the Erickson Law Group, will speak at the Saper Law Open Source Symposium on February 17, 2009 in Chicago. Whether you are in favor, opposed, or indifferent to software patents, it is important to know the implications and interplay between open source licensed work and patent rights. His presentation will focus on how the use of open source code including code licensed under GNU General Public License (GPL) versions 2 and 3 impacts a company’s patent rights. Also, the presentation provide specific guidelines to determine when a company should spend money to obtain a patent on software and when the funds are better spent elsewhere. Moreover, the audience will learn how a company can use defensive strategies to prevent third parties from obtaining patent protection over software related ideas that are used in the company’s products.
More information about the symposium and registration is available here.