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From: rang@cpsin3.cps.msu.edu (Anton Rang)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Jonathan (Apple patents)
Message-ID: <2547@cps3xx.UUCP>
Date: 15 Apr 89 18:11:04 GMT
References: <2734@tank.uchicago.edu>
Sender: usenet@cps3xx.UUCP
Reply-To: rang@cpswh.cps.msu.edu (Anton Rang)
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Organization: Michigan State University, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 26
In-reply-to: ra_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu's message of 15 Apr 89 17:29:13 GMT

In article <2734@tank.uchicago.edu> ra_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu writes:
>In article <3767@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu>, bmartin@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Brian Martin) writes...
>
>>In article <1833@ucsfcca.ucsf.edu> rampil@cca.ucsf.edu.UUCP (Ira Rampil) writes:
>>>Yes Matilda, there are patents.  I know, I saw one.
>>>It was a patent issued to Bill Atkinson representing Apple.
>>>The patent covered a new algorithm for handling arbitrary
>>>rasterized regions.
>> 
>>I was at a seminar on patents and copyrights last night, given by a patent
>>attorney. According to him, algorithms can't be patented. Apparently,

>Well, some of Bill's stuff is patented, and if it's an algorithm, then that
>must mean algorithm's can be patented.

  There is a NY Times article posted outside a faculty member's door
here on patenting algorithms.  They can be patented, at least
according to the U.S. Patent Office.  The example given in the article
is a linear programming algorithm patent, I think given to somebody at
AT&T.  (I believe the article said this hadn't been tested in the
courts, though.)

+---------------------------+------------------------+----------------------+
| Anton Rang (grad student) | "VMS Forever!"         | "Do worry...be SAD!" |
| Michigan State University | rang@cpswh.cps.msu.edu |                      |
+---------------------------+------------------------+----------------------+