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Patents -- What is the distinction?
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 13:51:36 -0400
Begin forwarded message: From: Tom Gray <tom_gray_grc () yahoo com> Date: August 16, 2004 11:01:56 AM EDT To: dave () farber net, tom_gray_grc () yahoo com Subject: Software Patents -- What is the distinction? This note may be of interest for your IP list. There have been some recent postings to the IP list about software patents. Frankly I cannot understand the point behind these posts and others that I have seen. I have designed hardware and I have designed software. I cannot see any real difference in the design of each. In fact, in designing a solution to a problem, I am often faced with the choice of developing a custom circuit or of choosing one of many processor/software design architectures. The choice between hardware and software does not depend on anything inherent in either technique but in various aspects, such as cost, space availability etc., that depend on the current technological context. Sine patents do not protect a design in itself but the combination of a solution and a perceived problem, I cannot see any reason why there should be a distinction between a hardware and a software-based design in this regard. If I design a piece of hardware that contains a controller which sequences circuit behavior through some custom microcode, should I not be able to patent this design. It is both hardware and software and both neither. Why should patenting not apply to software-based designs? Tom Gray __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Address AutoComplete - You start. We finish. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- Patents -- What is the distinction? David Farber (Aug 16)