Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!world!bzs From: bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein) Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk Subject: Re: Way to fight trivial patents Message-ID: Date: 20 Oct 90 22:44:56 GMT References: <1990Oct7.175737.12808@agate.berkeley.edu> <152362@felix.UUCP> Sender: bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein) Distribution: usa Organization: The World Lines: 18 In-Reply-To: asylvain@felix.UUCP's message of 15 Oct 90 18:57:44 GMT >I'm not a lawyer, but it is true that you can't patent an idea that's >been discussed before in a public forum (e.g, USENET). That is, to be >patent-able, it must have *never* been available in published form. I believe that (at least) that last sentence is not true. Apparently you have up to a year after publication to file a patent. But, as you said, I'm not a lawyer. Several people who are usually reliable were citing this emphatically when the LZW patent was being discussed (it was published before the patent was applied for.) It sounds like a straight rule (as opposed to something derived from case law), so it would be nice if someone in the know could clarify. -- -Barry Shein Software Tool & Die | {xylogics,uunet}!world!bzs | bzs@world.std.com Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: 617-739-0202 | Login: 617-739-WRLD