[sdiy] Intellectual Property Laws

[Grant Richter]

 > Grab the existing programs from here:
 >     http://www.synthmodules.com/programs/PSIM-1_Programs/

This is utter and complete bullshit.

Mike Murphy and I were guaranteed that all software contributed would  
be Public Domain.

All software I and Mike contributed IS still Public Domain, remove  
the GPL header. It is
incorrect.

It is not the intent of the courts to use intellectual property laws  
to obstruct the progress of
American technology. The only claim a manufacturer can make against a  
copy is loss of
income, which if you are not selling or shipping a design, CAN NOT be  
claimed!

If the design is not shipped commercially for two years, it becomes  
"fallow" and is no longer
defensible under intellectual property laws. The term is "failure to  
commercialize". This will
invalidate a PATENT, although the time needed is longer.

If you design something, you must put it in production, and KEEP it  
in production or you lose
all rights to the design.