Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!sharkey!shadooby!accuvax.nwu.edu!tank!shamash!nic.MR.NET!xanth!lll-winken!arisia!cdp!sklein
From: sklein@cdp.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Inverse video/text
Message-ID: <141200016@cdp>
Date: 6 Apr 89 02:54:00 GMT
References: <38395@think.uucp>
Lines: 20
Nf-ID: #R:think.uucp:38395:cdp:141200016:000:960
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!sklein    Apr  5 18:54:00 1989


In message <blah blah blah> carlson at hpindda.HP.COM writes:
>In about 1973 someone taught me the trick of XOR A,B XOR B,A XOR A,B                 
>in order to do a swap.  It's hardly a new idea, nor is it limited to                           
>graphics.                                                                  

It's not a new idea *now*, but it may have been patented in 1972, or
earlier.  Keep in mind, that the patent office has routinely issued
patents that didn't seem to conflict with existing patents.  They
usually do *not* rule as to whether or not something is patentable--
they issue the patent and let you fight it out in the courts.

Also, if the license fee was $500, it would cost you more to challenge
this patent then to license it.  So even though the patent holder
may not have patented a legitimately original idea, no one wants to
make a big deal over it.  

You can argue all you want, fact is, the patent is real!

-shabtai