Copyright, and stones

[jhaible]

From: John E Blacet <blacet at metro.net>

> There is a lot of misleading information being posted on this topic!
>
> There are only two ways to protect an electronic circuit: a patent or
> keep it secret. Once it is published, IN ANY FORM, including the
> Internet, it is in the public domain and may be used by anyone. Fair or
> not, this IS the way it works.

Yes.

And you can make patents in a way that they reveal more than they
protect, too. Recently I stumbled across the Deltalab patents - they
are so detailed that you could easily clone them just from the patent
text. The funny thing is, there is an Effectron schematics drawing
around that has barely readable component values. Now imagine
the patent text has the right component values listed one by one.
The patent text !
It's probably easier to work around a certain solution to avoid
infringement, than finding a solution that was not published at all.
Which brings us back to potting, re-labelling chips and all that stuff ...

Hmm, this was not about the ethical thread - I just thought you
might find it interesting. I for one was puzzled to find that
Deltalab patent with specified component values, while the
last patent I was working on spoke of "first things" and "second things"
from beginning to end (;->).


Change of topic:
As you mention it, one more word about casting stones.

> As for fairness, will everyone who has dug up an old schematic, redrew
> it or not and posted it on the web, please contact the original designer
> and offer his/her apologies? Then you can cast your stone!

Now, I know where this quote comes from, and I cannot
say anything against that. There is always a good reason to
keep quiet instead of picking up stones. I picked them up,
and I'll try to let them drop now.

JH.