Company and product value depend on the ability to protect intellectual property (IP). However, software development today involves the combination of code from several sources including internal code, third-party code, and open source code. With hundreds of thousands of open source projects easily accessible and over 1400 open source licenses governing these projects, managing the use of licenses can be challenging. As a result, value also depends on the “cleanliness” of a company's IP.

By understanding license obligations and managing the associated risks, software company executives, buyers and sellers of software, and software managers can increase time to market and reduce costs. Open source licensing is a growing issue in the software industry; however, it is only one factor contributing to clean IP. As policy makers and courts address the protection of IP rights, guidelines become clearer as to what defines clean IP.

This talk examines best practices for license compliance and compatibility, a structured definition of clean IP, business implications of clean IP, and opportunities for entrepreneurs to grow in this niche.