Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!cmcl2!rna!cubsvax!peters From: peters@cubsvax.UUCP (Peter S. Shenkin) Newsgroups: net.micro.68k,net.arch Subject: Re: 68000 Memory Managment (Bechtolsheim patent) Message-ID: <539@cubsvax.UUCP> Date: Sun, 14-Sep-86 21:48:39 EDT Article-I.D.: cubsvax.539 Posted: Sun Sep 14 21:48:39 1986 Date-Received: Mon, 15-Sep-86 07:30:51 EDT References: <508@elmgate.UUCP> <64@mit-prep.ARPA> <15665@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> Reply-To: peters@cubsvax.UUCP (Peter S. Shenkin) Organization: Columbia Univ. Bio. CG Fac., NY Lines: 24 Xref: mnetor net.micro.68k:1226 net.arch:3049 In article henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) writes: >> well, when i was a sophomore at caltech in 1981, a guy taking the >> microprocessor lab with me built a 68000 system with exactly this >> memory management scheme. i am sure his project proposal is still on >> file with the professor of that class... > >If you have to dig into the prof's files to find out about it, it's not >an issue for Andy's patent. It's then known as a "trade secret." If you figure out someone else's trade secret, you can patent it. The original purpose of the patent system was to encourage disclosure of new inventions; giving the inventor exclusive rights for a period of time was seen as an inducement to this end. Of course, as Henry points out, if the scheme was published or presented publicly, then it's not patentable, because it has already been disclosed. (...though I believe an inventor can file for a patent up to one year after he's disclosed his invention in public....) Irrelevant to this newsgroup of course; sorry. And no, I'm not a patent attorney either. Peter S. Shenkin Columbia Univ. Biology Dept., NY, NY 10027 {philabs,rna}!cubsvax!peters cubsvax!peters@columbia.ARPA