timeliness of ideas, was Re: TTL 7400's Available

[Chuck Guzis]

On 2 Jan 2007 at 20:24, Brent Hilpert wrote:


> "Sometimes the truth hurts." If they are applying for patents, I can't say I
> see much reason their sensibilities should be spared. In theory the patent
> office should be pointing it out but I guess that depends on the patent
> status of the earlier work.

What's changed is that software methods can now be patented.  But not 
that long ago, the best you could hope for was to publish your 
algorithm in CALGO or one one of the other journals (say, NYU Courant 
Institute) and hope someone noticed.  I think that a number of 
software patents currently granted could be undermined with some 
scholaraly research.   Nothing like omitted "prior art" citations to 
mess over a patent.

Cheers,
Chuck