>> Or, to put it another way...
>>
>> JPEG, MPEG, and MP3 are all patented. That doesn't stop you from using 
>> DFT for other purposes.

But what if I use the DFT to compress an image, but in a slightly 
different way to JPEG? Or if I compress the data in exactly the same 
way, but format the output file slightly differently? And just how 
different does it have to be?

> And (Hi Andrew!) CDMA is patented for cell phones, but maybe not for 
> other processes. You could probably use CDMA to deliver cable TV without 
> running into the same patents you would using it for cell phones.

Question: If CDMA is patented, how come cell phones exist?

> Now, another problem with "software" patents are that they're hard to 
> research.

Well, there is that too.

> Then again, I heard of a very expensive patent case where basically 
> backoff/retry was patented for a particular yet wide-spread purpose, and 
> the patent was upheld.  Which seems rather wrong to me, as it really was 
> the obvious way to do it.  I think they need a test like taking a random 
> professional and asking "If you had to solve problem X, how would you 
> solve it?" And if the person gives the solution in the patent, throw it 
> out.

I wonder, how well do legal professionals actually understand computers?

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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