commercial software includes material from papers on internet

[alwood]

I am working on a piece of commercial software that uses in part some methods and algorithms from papers I was able to find on the internet (No legal disclaimer in the papers nor on the pages/websites that contained those papers). Some of the papers are also available as IEEE publications on the IEEE website, but I also found them available elsewhere.

How can I be sure that I am using those algorithms legally? Do I need (am I required?) to purchase the IEEE publications of those papers? Or am I entitled to use those methods and algorithms in my to-be-commercial software since I implemented those algorithms/methods based on white papers and/or other websites that described those methods and algorithms?

Thanks

 

[seniorjudge]

Q: How can I be sure that I am using those algorithms legally?

A: Ask the holders of the rights to those algorithms for written permission.