Date   : Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:30:23 +0200
From   : rick@... (Rick Murray)
Subject: making replica acorn cards

Hi,

In America it is possible to patent fairly obvious and wide reaching things.  
We ALL know to EOR screen memory to make a box around a set of selections in  
a simple GUI. Well, I believe IBM hold a patent for that.
Implement it, on your own, unknowing of this patent, you are still liable  
for IPR "theft" if the rights owner so decides.

The big American companies sue each other because it is a lot easier to buy  
patent portfolios and claim losses of millions rather than do much in the  
way of work. Don't like your competition? Think their product is better?  
Find an infringement and go for gold! [and accusations of patent  
infringement neatly sidesteps anti-trust issues]

Thankfully, this is not (yet) a problem in the EU. But there are some who  
want it, for there it's big money in doing fairly little...


Best wishes,

Rick

(sent from my mobile)

-----Original message-----
From: Paul Vernon <paul2004v@...>
To: bbc-micro@...
Sent: 2011 Apr, Wed, 20 17:28:47 CEST
Subject: Re: [BBC-Micro] making replica acorn cards