Mike Raiford <mra### [at] hotmailcom> wrote:
>
> That raises an interesting question, what if a patented method for
> laying out dimples on a golf ball were used in a scene file, to create
> an accurate representation of the geometry of a golf ball. Would that be
> considered patent infringement?
>
> --
> ~Mike
>
> Things! Billions of them!

Patent - A government grant giving the right to exclude others from making,
using or selling an invention.
Patent infringement - Making, using or selling an invention on which a
patent is in force without the inventor's permission.

In the case of the golfball and most other things, I don't think rendering
would qualify it for infringement since I believe most patents are written
to involve the creation/application of physical objects/processes.  There
are cases where algorithms/code are patented I believe, but I think for the
most part, no one really cares unless you are try to make money off of it,
somehow decreasing the money they make off of it, or going around claiming
it's your idea.

But then again what do I know, I'm an engineer, not a laywer.

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