Arithmetic codING isn't a device, invention, etc. etc...... How can it
be patented? I am refering to the fact that there are a great many
different algorithms to accomplish arithmetic coding. Are not patents
usually granted to protect a particular _device_ or _method_ of
accomplishing a _particular_ task? For example, one might patent the
{paper clip} for the purpose of {attaching pieces of paper together}.
One might patent the {so-and-so steel manufacturing process} for the
purpose of {making indestructible steel}. It would seem strange if one
could patent _all_ devices for {attaching pieces of paper together}, or
_all_ methods of {making indestructible steel}. An arithmetic coder is
indeed a _method_ for accomplishing the task of {arithmetic coding}. On
the other hand, it seems that {arithmetic coding} is not a method or a
device of any sort. Is there any distinction between patenting the
concept of arithmetic coding and patenting the concept of compression?
Or redundancy coding? Or operating system (I can just imagine microsoft
doing this....). Could not this patent be contested on these grounds?
-- David Feuer feuer@his.com dfeuer@binx.mbhs.edu Open Source: Think locally; act globally.- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/