On Fri, Sep 14, 2012 at 4:10 AM, Norman Dunbar <nor...@dunbar-it.co.uk> wrote: > Hmmm. Apple "stealing" something that's been on Sony camera's at least for a > good while now. Wonder if Sony will sue them? I'm sure Panorama is the Sony > name for the feature as well, so two birds for Sony there!
I first used software that achieved this result in the mid-90s, so the patents would have expired and it is surely in the public domain by now. Copyright on the actual software packages may last <outrageously long time> but patents are still reasonable, at 11/14/18/20 years depending on your jurisdiction. There was not a phone in the world that looked or worked like an iPhone before the iPhone, and almost everything is a direct clone afterwards. Samsung was the worst transgressor because they started cloning it even before its release, due to their having access to the parts since they were subcontracted to manufacture the first iPhone. Also, the idea of Sony suing anyone after they *installed a rootkit on my PC* just because I listened to an audio CD.... Dave _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
