On Tue, Oct 03, 2006 at 08:39:37PM -0600, Breen Ouellette wrote: > Wolfgang S. Rupprecht wrote: > >>a) Intel doesn't own the technology, but licensed it from another > >> vendor. The licensing terms don't allow Intel to release full > >> details. > >> > >>b) Intel has agreements with other customers/vendors to not release > >> information about a particular piece of hardware. > >> > >>c) Intel doesn't feel that it's worth the cost to provide information > >> for driver developers. > >> > > > >d) There are so many patents issued for obvious techniques used in > > computer peripheral chips that releasing documentation might tempt > > an ethically challenged company to sue them for royalties. > > > >Intel has been on record as stating that patent issues are now a > >significant problem for them. > > > >-wolfgang > > > > That's just their way of saying that AMD is patenting technology that > Intel has to licence, and that is just so very terrible for them. I > mean, shame on AMD for taking the shiny toy away from Intel. :) > > And seriously, is Intel insinuating that they are using patented > technology without licencing it? That seems rather bogus to me. > Ignorance of breaking the law does not waive their liability under the > law, and if they get caught in this kind of lie then I hope the legal > system stomps all over them. It would serve them right. If Intel doesn't > like the patent system, then they can lobby against it. But they are > just a hair's width shy of admitting guilt if they actually make > arguments like the one attributed above. > > Breeno > > PS - before I get accused of being a 'commie' in this latest round of > discussions regarding bad corporate behaviour, I'd just like to say that > it was my understanding that believing the law should not be broken is > not how you define a communist.
Intel may just be worried that there _might_ be a problem they don't know about and are trying to protect themselves. I imagine that there are plenty of opportunities for someone to either willfully or accidentally introduce patented technologies, for which Intel does not hold a license, into their commercial products. Rather than releasing information and potentially having to deal with an intellectual property issue, Intel just doesn't release the information. -Damian
