Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 16:14:58 -0700 (PDT) From: Matt Dillon <dillon@earth.backplane.com> To: Mikulas Patocka <mikulas@artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz> Cc: Jonathan Lemon <jlemon@flugsvamp.com>, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Patented algorithm in FreeBSD Message-ID: <200106112314.f5BNEwE34320@earth.backplane.com> References: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1010612004932.15006D-100000@artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz>
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:> So it looks like we have prior art by around 6 years, which would
:> invalidate the patent iff it was the same thing.
:
:Does it mean that the algorithm is free to use by everyone or free to use
:only in freebsd? I would like to implemet these page table back pointers
:too and I'm scared by the patent... I don't know how US patent system
:works.
:
:Mikulas
Oh, I meant to give a few examples. Take the RAMBUS memory case.
RAMBUS got a bunch of patents on ram processes then staked their
entire company on the patent. They challenged a number of companies
and even got a few to buckle under. Unfortunately a few companies
didn't buckle under and RAMBUS now looks to be on the losing side...
they are likely to see their entire patent obliterated.
Then there's the case of the Dickens 2000 patent. This guy 'invented'
a windowing technique for 2 digit years. Here's some references:
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1009-200-1504369.html
http://www.itaa.org/year2000/dickens.htm (slow site)
This is an example of a patent that should obviously be thrown out
(I mean, give me a break!), but look how long it's taking and the amount
of effort required to make it happen? Expensive. The problem is
that the patent office is not really all that technically savvy. It's
unfortunate, but I think one of the biggest things open-source gives
to the world is a huge library of prior-art to help us fight these
idiots. Go open source!
-Matt
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