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From: Greg M  Johnson
Subject: Pixar patent infringement involves anti-aliasing
Date: 27 Oct 2002 22:34:24
Message: <3dbcb040$1@news.povray.org>
3D World had an article about this, but I couldn't find an online link.

http://www.digitalproducer.com/2002/07_jul/news/07_22/pixar_exluna.htm

Pixar sued a rival, and one of the object of contention was the
anti-aliasing technique.  Is POV OK?


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From: Christopher James Huff
Subject: Re: Pixar patent infringement involves anti-aliasing
Date: 27 Oct 2002 22:43:44
Message: <chrishuff-D34488.22370227102002@netplex.aussie.org>
In article <3dbcb040$1@news.povray.org>,
 "Greg M. Johnson" <gregj:-)56590@ao:-)l.com> wrote:

> 3D World had an article about this, but I couldn't find an online link.
> 
> http://www.digitalproducer.com/2002/07_jul/news/07_22/pixar_exluna.htm
> 
> Pixar sued a rival, and one of the object of contention was the
> anti-aliasing technique.  Is POV OK?

If you are asking if anyone has a patent on something used in POV, the 
answer is yes. Given the amount and type of stuff patented, there has to 
be. Even if there weren't, POV still wouldn't be "safe". This particular 
patent was on a kind of "random sampling" as I recall...they could 
probably claim it applies to POV antialiasing, area lights, photons, 
media, radiosity...fighting them off would not be easy.
Fortunately, the POV Team probably isn't a very high-priority target.

-- 
Christopher James Huff <cja### [at] earthlinknet>
http://home.earthlink.net/~cjameshuff/
POV-Ray TAG: chr### [at] tagpovrayorg
http://tag.povray.org/


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From: Thorsten Froehlich
Subject: Re: Pixar patent infringement involves anti-aliasing
Date: 28 Oct 2002 01:54:57
Message: <3dbcdf41@news.povray.org>
In article <chr### [at] netplexaussieorg> , 
Christopher James Huff <chr### [at] maccom>  wrote:

>> 3D World had an article about this, but I couldn't find an online link.
>>
>> http://www.digitalproducer.com/2002/07_jul/news/07_22/pixar_exluna.htm
>>
>> Pixar sued a rival, and one of the object of contention was the
>> anti-aliasing technique.  Is POV OK?
>
> If you are asking if anyone has a patent on something used in POV, the
> answer is yes. Given the amount and type of stuff patented, there has to
> be. Even if there weren't, POV still wouldn't be "safe". This particular
> patent was on a kind of "random sampling" as I recall...they could
> probably claim it applies to POV antialiasing, area lights, photons,
> media, radiosity...fighting them off would not be easy.
> Fortunately, the POV Team probably isn't a very high-priority target.

No, the official answer can only be that the POV-Team is not aware of any
patents infringed by POV-Ray.  Saying anything else would be very
danagerous.

    Thorsten

____________________________________________________
Thorsten Froehlich, Duisburg, Germany
e-mail: tho### [at] trfde

Visit POV-Ray on the web: http://mac.povray.org


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From: Warp
Subject: Re: Pixar patent infringement involves anti-aliasing
Date: 28 Oct 2002 07:48:40
Message: <3dbd3227@news.povray.org>
Greg M. Johnson <gregj:-)56590@ao:-)l.com> wrote:
> http://www.digitalproducer.com/2002/07_jul/news/07_22/pixar_exluna.htm

  I still wonder why these stories *never* tell *where* has the patent
been issued and where is it being fought.
  They always talk as if the patent is valid in the whole world...

-- 
#macro N(D)#if(D>99)cylinder{M()#local D=div(D,104);M().5,2pigment{rgb M()}}
N(D)#end#end#macro M()<mod(D,13)-6mod(div(D,13)8)-3,10>#end blob{
N(11117333955)N(4254934330)N(3900569407)N(7382340)N(3358)N(970)}//  - Warp -


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From: Greg M  Johnson
Subject: Re: Pixar patent infringement involves anti-aliasing
Date: 28 Oct 2002 08:25:08
Message: <3dbd3ab4@news.povray.org>
The 3dworld article gives the US Patent # and location of courtroom.

Go to:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/search-adv.htm

and type in
                  pn/4897806
or
                  an/pixar

to see the list of pixar patents.

I find that
"far too seldom" gets one in less trouble than "never"
and
"far too often" gets on in less trouble than "always."
right bill?


"Warp" <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote in message
news:3dbd3227@news.povray.org...
>
> I still wonder why these stories *never* tell *where* has the patent
> been issued and where is it being fought.
> They always talk as if the patent is valid in the whole world...
>


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From: Christopher James Huff
Subject: Re: Pixar patent infringement involves anti-aliasing
Date: 28 Oct 2002 09:57:46
Message: <chrishuff-7E2C2E.09510728102002@netplex.aussie.org>
In article <3dbcdf41@news.povray.org>,
 "Thorsten Froehlich" <tho### [at] trfde> wrote:

> No, the official answer can only be that the POV-Team is not aware of any
> patents infringed by POV-Ray.  Saying anything else would be very
> danagerous.

Of course, this is true, and I should have made that clearer. My only 
point was that it is almost certain that for any large software project, 
somewhere somebody has a patent that they could (mis)interpret as 
applying and cause legal problems even if they have no real case.

-- 
Christopher James Huff <cja### [at] earthlinknet>
http://home.earthlink.net/~cjameshuff/
POV-Ray TAG: chr### [at] tagpovrayorg
http://tag.povray.org/


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From: Warp
Subject: Re: Pixar patent infringement involves anti-aliasing
Date: 28 Oct 2002 10:09:29
Message: <3dbd5329@news.povray.org>
Thorsten Froehlich <tho### [at] trfde> wrote:
> No, the official answer can only be that the POV-Team is not aware of any
> patents infringed by POV-Ray.

  GIF...

-- 
#macro N(D)#if(D>99)cylinder{M()#local D=div(D,104);M().5,2pigment{rgb M()}}
N(D)#end#end#macro M()<mod(D,13)-6mod(div(D,13)8)-3,10>#end blob{
N(11117333955)N(4254934330)N(3900569407)N(7382340)N(3358)N(970)}//  - Warp -


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From: Ken
Subject: Re: Pixar patent infringement involves anti-aliasing
Date: 28 Oct 2002 10:10:59
Message: <3DBD5348.F36760E3@pacbell.net>
Warp wrote:
> 
> Thorsten Froehlich <tho### [at] trfde> wrote:
> > No, the official answer can only be that the POV-Team is not aware of any
> > patents infringed by POV-Ray.
> 
>   GIF...

...never heard of it.

-- 
Ken Tyler


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From: Kaveh
Subject: Re: Pixar patent infringement involves anti-aliasing
Date: 28 Oct 2002 11:51:54
Message: <1fkr8o3.4x74teol65w8N%kaveh@delete_this.focalimage.com>
Christopher James Huff <chr### [at] maccom> wrote:

[...]

> Fortunately, the POV Team probably isn't a very high-priority target.

Let's hope one day it is. ;-)

-- 
Kaveh


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From: Thorsten Froehlich
Subject: Re: Pixar patent infringement involves anti-aliasing
Date: 28 Oct 2002 13:52:48
Message: <3dbd8780$1@news.povray.org>
In article <3dbd3227@news.povray.org> , Warp <war### [at] tagpovrayorg>  wrote:

>   They always talk as if the patent is valid in the whole world...

That is because your definition fo "world" and the definition of "world" for
280 million people in a certain country differs significantly...

    Thorsten

____________________________________________________
Thorsten Froehlich, Duisburg, Germany
e-mail: tho### [at] trfde

Visit POV-Ray on the web: http://mac.povray.org


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