PatentCafe today launched its OSS Patent Search Engine, a free tool devoted to making open source software patents searchable using natural language queries. The initial collection includes the 500 OSS patents pledged by IBM early in January. The company has not said for certain whether it will expand the database by adding other OSS patents.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.