In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
Donald Burrill <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>In response to dennis roberts, who wrote in part:
>> > i see "inventing" some algorithm as <snip> not quite in the same
>> > genre of developing a process for extracting some enzyme from a
>> > substance ... using a particular piece of equipment specially
>> > developed for that purpose
>> > i hope we don't see a trend IN this direction ...
>On Wed, 7 Mar 2001, Paige Miller replied:
>> If it so happens that while I am in the employ of a certain company, I
>> invent some new algorithm, then my company has a vested interest in
>> making sure that the algorithm remains its property and that no one
>> else uses it, especially a competitor. Thus, it is advantageous for my
>> employer to patent such inventions. In this view, mathematical
>> inventions are no different than mechanical, chemical or other
>> inventions.
>Yes. And in another domain of discourse, statistical methods invented
>by statisticians like Abraham Wald, who worked on military problems
>during WWII, were military secrets until the war ended.
> "Official secret" is the governmental/military equivalent of "patent".
No, it is the equivalent of "trade secret". The word "patent"
literal means "open"; a patent is the right to exclusive use,
or licensing, granted in exchange for removing any secrecy.
--
This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399
[EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
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