Why is FLARM encrypted and not open-source?

A danish glider club created a “FLARM radar” site using a Raspberry PI 2 and a TV Tuner device.
http://slaglille.dk/omklubben/flarm/

Michael_J wrote:

A danish glider club created a “FLARM radar” site using a Raspberry PI 2 and a TV Tuner device.
http://slaglille.dk/omklubben/flarm/

That’s just one of a series of Open Glider Network sites which transmit Flarm info to other gliders – see here for more details. Also, PAW is trying to implement this in order to have Flarm targets show up on their screens when within coverage of PW-OGN sites – for the UK, here is an overview of sites; if you select sites with PW as their prefix (so selecting show all and the PW% in the box), you will see the coverage of PAW associated OGN ground stations; when flying in that area, PAW users would see ADS-B, Mode S, Mode A/C and Flarm targets as well as themselves…..

Peter wrote:

There is a pile of these projects / products out there. It’s obvious most of them will fail. FLARM has had a “great future” since for ever but still has a poor penetration of powered GA.

FLARM is great for gliders, where several, sometimes several dusins, fly close. It gives you much better situational awareness of aircraft above, below and behind. I’m not sure how it should be used for powered GA and still have it’s usefulness. Powered GA very seldom fly in large flocks like gliders do. At airports, proper radio- and circuit procedures is a much better tool. You can only land one at a time anyway.

In a gaggle, I mean a real one, flarm is more of distruction then anything else. It’s not only my opinion, I know about at least one world champion who was and is against mandatory use of flarm during gliding competitions. Now, flarm might be useful in snow covered mountains when spotting white gliders becomes a real challenge. And it’s certainly useful to track competitors during races.
I’m under impression that by applying for patent protection flarm is actively trying to block access to market of open source alternatives like openflarm. It would be very sad to see this project fail just because the dominant market player has the resources necessary to engage in a legal fight.

I’m under impression that by applying for patent protection flarm is actively trying to block access to market of open source alternatives like openflarm

IMO a patent only blocks others from making money on your patent. There is nothing in patent laws that blocks free usage when there are no commercial interests. A patent is no copyright.

Peter wrote:

If a “noncommercial” entity files a patent and you infringe it and make $1,000,000 then they can sue you for the $1,000,000 even if they never intended to make even $1.

That is exactly what I said? A patent is exclusively about commercial interests. Not that it would stop someone from suing you regardless though, but this is Europe, not the USA.