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From: kds@intelca.UUCP (Ken Shoemaker)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Nec V2 vs 8088
Message-ID: <90@intelca.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 17-Sep-85 03:23:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: intelca.90
Posted: Tue Sep 17 03:23:05 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 19-Sep-85 07:24:48 EDT
References: <1497@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Organization: Intel, Santa Clara, Ca.
Lines: 23

> Legally, there is the question of whether microcode CAN be copyrigthed
> (I would say yes), and whether Intel's microcode WAS copyrighted (I
> doubt it.  I don't think anyone copyrights their microcode - It is

well something in there is marked copyrighted!  Practically every Intel
chip I have seen has a copyright notice on both the package and on the
chip itself (don't believe me?  Pop the lid off the 8088s you replace
in your PCs with V20s!  The 8086 pen plot I just looked at explicitly
says that the microcode is copyrighted in the metal layer, certainly in
clear view of anyone that would try to reverse engineer it.)

That microcode is copyrightable has, I believe, passed the test in 
the courts.
-- 
...and I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody outside of a small circle
of friends...

Ken Shoemaker, Microprocessor Design for a large, Silicon Valley firm

{pur-ee,hplabs,amd,scgvaxd,dual,qantel}!intelca!kds
	
---the above views are personal.  They may not represent those of the
	employer of its submitter.


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