Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!ox.com!math.fu-berlin.de!fub!dobag.in-berlin.de!akb!anson From: anson@akb.in-berlin.de (Andreas Bewersdorff) Newsgroups: comp.os.minix Distribution: comp Message-ID: Organization: private site in Berlin X-Version: HERMES MMAIL 0.95 Rev. Apr 02 1991 Subject: Re: software patents References: <51770@nigel.ee.udel.edu> Reply-To: anson@akb.in-berlin.de X-Software: GUS (Ver. 0.94 Rev. Mar 15 1991) Date: Sun, 28 Apr 91 06:33:48 MEST Lines: 41 Hallo ! In <51770@nigel.ee.udel.edu>, wjb%cogsci.COG.JHU.EDU@vm1.nodak.edu writes: () ... At least, the US Patent Office has been giving () patents for what are essentially algorithms for the past 5 years or more. () ... () Examples are: () 4. XORing graphics cursors (every graphics When I got an Apple II+ in 1980, one of the first things I was taught about graphics was to XOR shapes (lines/bitimages), e.g. to select some frame in a picture or to use them as a cursor. I wrote a printerdriver using this technique. Would I have done something illegal if I had lived in the USA or would I do something illegal if I sold this program now ? Why didn't *I* patent this method ? :-) In <1991Apr24.164057.20338@agate.berkeley.edu>, Dave Cottingham writes: () ... The US Patent Office has been () issuing software patents like crazy for about five years now. Are () they valid? ... () ... if your country signs this, you'll find the following () algorithms protected by patent (they're patented in the US already): () ... and include files (used by everything). And many more. ... same question again : most interpreters have something similar. Even 'ancient Basic' has the commands 'chain' and 'merge', which I used to merge my printerdriver to any other program. The equivalent method for compilers are includefiles. Would this part of my program (or the Basic- interpreter itself) have been illegal ? I'm just writing a program which uses to jump to the next item and which uses to select the current item. Is there a patent too ? :-) :-) mfG Andreas ps : Is there some patent on displaying information on a screen ? :-) :-) Could give someone big bucks like the patent for microprocessors ... -- Andreas Bewersdorff | SIG under construction D-1000 Berlin 12 | read at your own risk! anson@akb.in-berlin.de | ophening werry sonn nouw ...