Open letter

[Paul Perry]

>tomg wrote:
>

>not true. once you have created an original design, poem, song, sculpture,
>or what have you, its yours. its protected by law as your intellectual
>property. 

well.....
Nothing is protected unless it is patented. That's why the patent system exists.
Moog was able to patent the ladder filter because it was an 'original' and
useful
piece of invention, or 'art' as they call it.
So, nobody could make, use, or sell one for 17 years without his (or his
assignees)
permission.

If I publish a circuit, witout patenting it, anyone can do what they like
with it.
We're talking LEGAL here, not moral.

Now the actual LAYOUT of a circuit board is quite different.
This is covered by DESIGN rules. 
You cant copy a PCB(or a moulding, or any of that kind of thing) without laying 
yourself open to legal attack.
But, if you REDRAW the PCB, again you can do what you want.

For the definitive work on patents and the real world, see Don Lancaster's
book on
this. (Yes, the CMOS Handbook etc Lancaster).

The law is an ass.... but, the law is the law.

Now, when i make a MS20 filter clone, I'm not worried.. because ther isn't
actually 
anything in it that was ever patented (AFAIK) and if there was, it's more
than 17
years ago.

paul perry Frostwave P/L Melbourne Australia