Software Licensing Experiences

1
Software Licensing Experiences

• Russell M. Taylor II
• Research Professor
• Computer Science
• Physics Astronomy
• Curriculum on Applied Sciences Engineering

2
Dont Do This!

• Virtual-reality User Interface For Controlling
  Specimen Modification With Scanning Probe
  Microscopes
• Published 1992
• Disclosed January 7, 1994
• Game Over!

3
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

4
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

5
OTD Didnt Waste My Time

• Thank-you ware
• No market for technique to register use of free
  software
• Case closed (mothballed) immediately

6
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
• Dont count on this

7
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

8
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

9
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

10
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.