AW: a144/a163 and JH

[jhaible]

>From: Dr. Jörg Schmitz [SMTP:schmitz at patho.bonn.com]
>
>Hi all !
>
>Take a look at Doepfers Homepage with his new Modules !
>Especially
> http://www.doepfer.de/a144.htm  or
> http://www.doepfer.de/a163.htm .
>
>Juergen, are you working for Doepfer now ?
>Or did you give your permission for taking these ideas from your
>homepage ?
>
>J.S. (surprised, and thinking about copyrights....)


This was a big surprise indeed, and not a pleasant one.
Thanks to Jörg and others for pointing me there.

First of all, I don't think copyright helps anything in such a case.
I do not bother to make any legal claim at all. Anyone who is
familiar with the circuits I've published some years ago might
or might not see the similarities with these new D*pfer modules.
(If you haven't seen them, my circuits are at
http://www.synthfool.com/diy/hj_sch.html . Look for
"Voltage Controlled Divide By N" and "Interpolating Scanner".)

Now I have never claimed the first module to be my invention.
The VC divide by N was inspired by the verbal description
of a Serge Module. So it's not me to complain.

The other module does hurt more. I have not seen an analogue
linear crossfading over several stages, as I proposed in the
Interpolating Scanner, and as the new D*pfer morphing controller does,
in years of exploring the schemos on the web.

I do't claim anything - everybody draw his / her own conclusions.
For me this is a hobby, and I have put the schemos there
for private persons to build their own one-off modules. I enjoy
the free exchange of ideas among the synth-diy community,
and I do enjoy the politeness and respect towards the work
of others which you can normally find there.


To answer Jörg's questions:
(1) No, I'm in no way working for Mr. Doepfer.
(2) No, I have not been contacted or been asked for permission.
(3) No, I don't get a penny from that.
(4) No, there is no protection from the copyright remark I put on my
schemos.
(5) There's a long span between what is legal, and what hurts the feelings
of others.

JH.