On 10/6/2000, Chris Auld wrote:
>1. Should academic journals publish papers with patented
> algorithms? Isn't the whole point ostensibly to generate
> reproducible results?
The same issue arises with research based on data sold by a
monopolist, or any software or equipment sold by a monopolist.
If the monopolist equals the paper authors, and the product
over which there is a monopoly has its primary value in producing
this paper, then I think the journal should require that the
algorithm be made available free to others, but only for the
purpose of trying to reproduce the result.
Even if Microsoft OS was used to produce the paper, however,
I don't think the paper's authors should be required to give
it free to all academics.
Robin Hanson [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://hanson.gmu.edu
Asst. Prof. Economics, George Mason University
MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030-4444
703-993-2326 FAX: 703-993-2323
