Most small businesses have no patent strategy. Though many FOSS companies have policies in place regarding copyright and keeping detailed records of code contributions, few have paid enough attention to how patent litigation could affect them. For those FOSS businesses active in multiple countries or looking to expand into an international market, failure to understand the patent ecosystem in each jurisdiction could be a costly mistake.

This talk will use recent cases and ongoing changes in the patent systems of the US & Europe as modern examples for our discussion. We'll describe the pitfalls that can affect any company, tabulate the costs of litigation, and offer methods businesses can use to reduce overall risk.

With the future of the European Union's Unitary Patent Court in limbo due to the Brexit, and with no public position on patents from the United States' next administration, leaders in Free Software owe it to themselves and their companies to be more agile and more prepared to address patent issues -- whether they work at a small startup or at a large multinational corporation.