[Board] incubation and risk

[Jody Garnett]

Apparently this subject is covered on that provenance review
<http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Code_Provenance_Review_Process> page.

*Should I be looking for patent problems?*
*No. However, if the code review turns up notes about patent issues - or if
there are known patent issues for the project, then these should be noted
in the review document. Generally speaking a proper patent review is very
difficult and may increase, rather than decrease, legal liability.*


To return the original subject (and thanks to this discussion) - I will
consider the board aware of the balance incubation process strikes between
risk and reward.

Jody Garnett

On Thu, Oct 2, 2014 at 12:48 PM, Markus Neteler <neteler at osgeo.org> wrote:

> On Thu, Oct 2, 2014 at 7:23 PM, Jody Garnett <jody.garnett at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > Markus that sounds like a license compatibility check, not specifically
> > checking for patents as Jachym was asking about?
>
> I think both as far as we are aware of it.
> A classical example is the LZW compression which was also used in
> older GRASS but before it became patented along with a special permit
> to use in GRASS (hence not compliant with a future GPL). I don't
> recall the details now.
> So, our code vetting also included some issues like this. Patents are
> IMHO complicated, filed where, still valid, etc. Not my core business
> :-)
>
> Markus
>
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