Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!unicorn!n8443916 From: n8443916@unicorn.wwu.edu (John Gossman) Newsgroups: comp.graphics Subject: Re: Pixar's patent on stochastic image generation Message-ID: <1990Oct30.165030.8624@unicorn.wwu.edu> Date: 30 Oct 90 16:50:30 GMT References: <67527@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu> <1990Oct26.131122.2169@abcfd20.larc.nasa.gov> <1990Oct29.203607.403@heitis1.uucp> Reply-To: n8443916@unicorn.WWU.EDU (John Gossman) Organization: Western Washington Univ, Bellingham, WA Lines: 27 In article <1990Oct29.203607.403@heitis1.uucp> news@heitis1.uucp (News Administrator) writes: >In article <1990Oct26.131122.2169@abcfd20.larc.nasa.gov> jcburt@ipsun.larc.nasa.gov (John Burton) writes: >> >>Hey, don't laugh...read the article in Nov 1990 issue of Dr. Dobbs Journal... >>The authors bring up an interesting patent infringement that X windows is >the X system. Of course, the XOR cursor is gonna be a lot tougher to get >around. > > brian Unfortunately I have heard this story before. About three years ago AutoDesk decided to go public. Within days of the announcement, the XOR cursor patent guys filed suit against AutoDesk and eventually won. So Autodesk has paid them royalties ever since for a mathematical function. John Walker, the lawyer hating president of Autodesk, is said to have considered withdrawing the stock offering he was so infuriated. X may be safe just because these guys would be less likely to make money from MIT than from a corporation, but the various X vendors should watch it. // *************************************************************** // John Gossman SoftSource (206)676-0999 Phone WWU Math Dept. My employer stands behind all my opinions, except in public. // ************************************************************** //