Most small businesses have no patent strategy. Though many FOSS companies havepolicies in place regarding copyright and keeping detailed records of codecontributions, few have paid enough attention to how patent litigation couldaffect them. For those FOSS businesses active in multiple countries or lookingto expand into an international market, failure to understand the patentecosystem in each jurisdiction could be a costly mistake. Most small businesses have no patent strategy. Though many FOSS companies havepolicies in place regarding copyright and keeping detailed records of codecontributions, few have paid enough attention to how patent litigation couldaffect them. For those FOSS businesses active in multiple countries or lookingto expand into an international market, failure to understand the patentecosystem in each jurisdiction could be a costly mistake. This talk will use recent cases and ongoing changes in the patent systems ofthe US & Europe as modern examples for our discussion. We'll describe thepitfalls that can affect any company, tabulate the costs of litigation, andoffer methods businesses can use to reduce overall risk. With the future of the European Union's Unitary Patent Court in limbo due tothe Brexit, and with no public position on patents from the United States'next administration, leaders in Free Software owe it to themselves and theircompanies to be more agile and more prepared to address patent issues --whether they work at a small startup or at a large multinational corporation.