Software Licensing Experiences: Maximizing Your Intellectual Property
Learn from Russell M. Taylor II's research seminar on software licensing, virtual reality user interfaces, control algorithms, and more. Discover insights and pitfalls to avoid for successful commercialization.
Software Licensing Experiences: Maximizing Your Intellectual Property
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Presentation Transcript
Software Licensing Experiences Russell M. Taylor II Research Professor Computer Science Physics & Astronomy Curriculum on Applied Sciences & Engineering UNC-CH OTD Software Seminar Russ Taylor
Don’t Do This! “Virtual-reality User Interface For Controlling Specimen Modification With Scanning Probe Microscopes” • Published 1992 • Disclosed January 7, 1994 • Game Over! UNC-CH OTD Software Seminar Russ Taylor
But if you Do… • Nick England/3rdTech still licensed • Took a long time – ask him for the model • Improvements go both directions • www.nanomanipulator.com UNC-CH OTD Software Seminar Russ Taylor
OTD Has Limited Resources “Manual or Algorithmic Control of a Scanned Probe Microscope Tip in Three Dimensions” • Relied on inventors to locate funding for patent • Still in limbo UNC-CH OTD Software Seminar Russ Taylor
OTD Didn’t Waste My Time “Thank-you ware” • No market for technique to register use of free software • Case closed (mothballed) immediately UNC-CH OTD Software Seminar Russ Taylor
OTD: Once was Blazing Fast “A Method for Rendering Non-Polygonal Surfaces on Programmable Graphics Hardware” • Disclosure received Feb 2, 2004 • Provisional Patent filed Feb 20, 2004 • Don’t count on this … UNC-CH OTD Software Seminar Russ Taylor
OTD: Can go the Distance “Better than surgical camera (BTSC): a method for display of normally-occluded surfaces of interest in medical images” • Interest from Radiology, CS, Siemens • Provisional patent applied for • International patent applied for • Licensed to Siemens • Took almost 6 months of badgering for payment UNC-CH OTD Software Seminar Russ Taylor
Other Models • nM: Commercialization is what worked • VRPN: Public-domain was needed • CISMM: NIH-funded free/open source • ImageSurfer • Video Spot Tracker • Fluorescence Simulator • Video Optimizer • … UNC-CH OTD Software Seminar Russ Taylor
Licenses • Binary-only: Standard software model • GNU General Public Licenses (GPL) • Lesser/Library • General Public License: Using other libraries with this licenses in your code has serious consequences • Berkeley (BSD) • Public Domain UNC-CH OTD Software Seminar Russ Taylor
Summary • Disclose (well) before publishing if you want to pursue commercially • Disclose derivative works as well as new works before pursuing commercially • Let OTD know the time constraints • Discuss all known or suspected industrial interest • Talk to Nick England about setting up licenses for non-patented IP with feedback from development. UNC-CH OTD Software Seminar Russ Taylor
