Solar concentration and patents

[Dave_Haun]

Hello, I am looking into a solar powered Stirling project, one that I would hope to sell eventually.  My problem is that there seems to be a patent on just about every possible mirror design. While I have a couple of ideas that may be novel, my guess is that the simplest will be best. A parabolic trough heating a circulating fluid or the ubiquitous dish. Do patents like these
(http://www.google.com/patents/EP2409091A1?cl=en&dq=parabolic+solar&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0opjUZaVFMTf2QWZkYCYDQ&sqi=2&pjf=1&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA
and
http://www.google.com/patents/US4707990?dq=stirling+solar+tsao&hl=en&sa=X&ei=iIxjUZSJKsqW2QWMv4CwDw&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA
really lock all commercial use of mirrors?
I don't plan on patenting my design, but I would like to be able to sell a system if I found a good combination of collector, engine, and generator.

Dave Haun
http://beginnercncprogramer.blogspot.com/
@dave_haun Davehaun@gmail.com

[dnix71]

The second patent has expired.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Term_of_patent_in_the_United_States