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From: paj@uk.co.gec-mrc (Paul Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Software Patents
Message-ID: <820@puck.mrcu>
Date: 1 Feb 91 11:40:08 GMT
Sender: paj@mrcu
Reply-To: paj@uk.co.gec-mrc (Paul Johnson)
Organization: GEC-Marconi Research Centre, Great Baddow, Essex
Lines: 36

I am of the opinion that any non-recursive algorithm can be patented.
Here is what you do (note: I have no legal or patent expertise
whatsoever).

First, write down your algorithm in C or Pascal without using
recursion.

Second, translate the code into a diagram with every variable
represented by a register and every operation represented by a piece
of hardware (e.g. adders, multipliers).  Write text describing each
stage of the computation.  You now have a description of a machine
which executes your algorithm.

Apply for a patent.  If someone implements your algorithm in software,
you can point to memory locations where variables are stored and
alledge that these correspond to the registers, and state that the ALU
is doing the work of the adders and multipliers.

Of course this is a lot of work, but a program to produce such a set
of diagrams and descriptions could be written.  It might even be
possible as a back end to gcc.

Does anyone think that this might be possible?  The possibility of
producing such diagrams rests on Turing's work on his machines.  He
proved that any turing machine can be emulated by a universal turing
machine.  I assume the converse holds, so that any UTM program can be
emulated by a specific non-UTM (anyone actually know?)

The legal side might require some pushing, particularly when patent
applications start being measured by the ton :-)

Paul.

Paul Johnson                               UUCP: <world>!mcvax!ukc!gec-mrc!paj
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GEC-Marconi Research is not 	| Telex: 995016 GECRES G  | Tel: +44 245 73331
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