Date   : Sat, 09 May 1987 22:04:08 GMT
From   : ken@cs.rochester.edu (Ken Yap)
Subject: Re: Copyright status of ARC, LZW, and COMPRESS programs questioned

I thought the L-Z compression algorithm was published in a journal for
all to see.  Furthermore, I may be wrong, but it is my understanding
that one cannot patent algorithms (being "laws of nature"), although
one can patent realizations of an algorithm. So if I read the journal
article and went off and wrote a C program based on the algorithm I'd
have no problems.

Disclaimer: I may be talking rubbish.  Anybody know better?

       Ken