That's entirely possible. Then again, I can't imagine a single non-trivial piece of software that doesn't end up stepping on IP toes left and right. If you take

That's entirely possible. Then again, I can't imagine a single non-trivial piece of software that doesn't end up stepping on IP toes left and right. If you take a look at some of the overly broad patents many companies have been granted over the years, you can't help but violate them, even when writing trivial algorithms.