Newsgroups: comp.compression
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!batcomputer!cornell!wayner
From: wayner@CS.Cornell.EDU (Peter Wayner)
Subject: Re: How do I patent-proof an algorithm?
Message-ID: <1991Apr8.161807.11318@cs.cornell.edu>
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References: <1991Apr9.113446.24904@kcbbs.gen.nz>
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 1991 16:18:07 GMT
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Peter_Gutmann@kcbbs.gen.nz (Peter Gutmann) writes:


>  There's been a fair amount of discussion about the patenting of compression 
>algorithms (and all sorts of other algorithms) recently.  Well I've got a  
>related question:  What about anti-patenting something?  

Publication is sufficient. Many companies (like Xerox) have a Technical
Disclosures Bulletin that they fill with information about discoveries
they've made that they don't feel worthy of patenting. This "documents"
that they made the discovery at a certain date and prevents someone from
"rediscovering" the concept later and suing the company. 

You can do the same thing. Just publish. Of course the larger the 
circulation the better. 



>--  
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-- 
Peter Wayner   Department of Computer Science Cornell Univ. Ithaca, NY 14850
EMail:wayner@cs.cornell.edu    Office: 607-255-9202 or 255-1008
Home: 116 Oak Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850  Phone: 607-277-6678

