Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!spool.mu.edu!think.com!linus!linus!linus!mbunix!eachus From: eachus@aries.mitre.org (Robert I. Eachus) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc Subject: Re: AT&T using patent to go after people using X Message-ID: Date: 25 Feb 91 20:02:53 GMT References: <1748@pdxgate.UUCP> <1991Feb24.135201.9052@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <1991Feb24.175524.20105@coplex.uucp> <8428@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> Sender: news@linus.mitre.org (News Service) Organization: The Mitre Corp., Bedford, MA. Lines: 23 In-Reply-To: zerkle@iris.ucdavis.edu's message of 25 Feb 91 00:43:57 GMT Nntp-Posting-Host: aries.mitre.org Very interesting...but AT&T is stupid (couldn't resist)... Actually the Amiga has two mechanisms for doing window overlaps. When the graphics chips mix images on the fly from various bit-maps in memory, it does not violate this patent (actually it is impossible to infringe an invalid patent but...) When you use simple refresh, the layers library does the sort of slice and dice that this patent describes, but I'm not sure if the algorithms are the same. In any case, I think both Sun and Xerox probably have sufficent prior art. We need a better way to recognize the technical innovations of software developers, but this type of patent sure ain't it. -- Robert I. Eachus Our troops will have the best possible support in the entire world. And they will not be asked to fight with one hand tied behind their back. President George Bush, January 16, 1991