Mersenne Digest Thursday, January 13 2000 Volume 01 : Number 679
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Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 18:58:04 -0800
From: "John R Pierce" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Mersenne: Re: The Second Mersennium Behind Us, How Now For MyriadThe
Third?
> >If I recall right, the guy who owns the patent wasn't asking for much in
the
> >way of royalties from each company (but amounts to a lot when totalled),
but
> >I think the fight revolves around whether this guy really invented the
idea,
> >or whether it's just one of those common sense things that can't be
> >patented, or something like that.
>
>
> This is getting off topic, but:
> The criteria for something to be patentable is that the average
> practitioner in the field wouldn't think of it. So it boils down to
> whether the average programmer would think of windowing, given the
problem.
There also can't be 'prior art'... "windowing" has been used since the 70s
if not earlier. There were some early 1960s systems that used a single
digit for the year... they used windowing as a way of dealing with the Y1970
problem :)
- -jrp
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Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 00:52:29 -0700
From: "Aaron Blosser" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: RE: Mersenne: Re: The Second Mersennium Behind Us, How Now For MyriadThe
Third?
> " Dickens applied for the patent in October 1996 "
>
> I was using windowing in 1987, so his patent is invalid (prior invention).
The problem now becomes, will these companies choose to challenge the patent
in court, spending millions of dollars, or will each company alone figure
it's cheaper to pay this guy than to pay their lawyers.
Apparently, that's been the tactic for many other similar "patent" cases
lately. What the article termed "submarine patents" for their stealth.
Sad...isn't it?
Let's all be thankful that neither Lucas nor Lehmer decided to patent their
formula! :-)
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Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 03:34:54 -0500
From: "Vincent J. Mooney Jr." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Mersenne: RE: The Second Mersennium Behind Us, How Now For Myriad The Third?
I read a few days ago that the patent office is considering withdrawing the
patent.
It was stupid to grant it in the first place, but what is the effect if
patents granted can be withdrawn (as has happened in a few other cases)?
At 12:52 AM 1/12/00 -0700, you wrote:
>> " Dickens applied for the patent in October 1996 "
>>
>> I was using windowing in 1987, so his patent is invalid (prior invention).
>
>The problem now becomes, will these companies choose to challenge the patent
>in court, spending millions of dollars, or will each company alone figure
>it's cheaper to pay this guy than to pay their lawyers.
>
>Apparently, that's been the tactic for many other similar "patent" cases
>lately. What the article termed "submarine patents" for their stealth.
>
>Sad...isn't it?
>
>Let's all be thankful that neither Lucas nor Lehmer decided to patent their
>formula! :-)
>
>_
>Unsubscribe & list info -- http://www.scruz.net/~luke/signup.htm
>Mersenne Prime FAQ -- http://www.tasam.com/~lrwiman/FAQ-mers
>
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Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 01:06:33 -0800
From: "John R Pierce" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Mersenne: RE: The Second Mersennium Behind Us, How Now For Myriad The
Third?
> It was stupid to grant it in the first place, but what is the effect if
> patents granted can be withdrawn (as has happened in a few other cases)?
basically, it will be as if it was never issued. The ex-patent-holder will
be sitting there with egg on his face, and quite likely a candidate for
lawsuits from anyone foolish enough to have paid him royalties on the patent
which is no longer valid.
just desserts if you ask me. We need a few precendents for strong
deterrents to discourage future grandstanding like this.
- -jrp
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Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:15:32 -0500
From: JON STRAYER <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: RE: Mersenne: The Second Mersennium Behind Us, How Now For Myriad The Third?
It looks l
