Neil W Rickert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> >> This patch uses windowing, so it may be subject to stoopid patent claims
> >> in some countries :-)
>
> >Are you serious?? What countries have patent claims like that? Never heard
> >of this issue...
>
> I expect that he is referring to the good old U.S.A. Apparently the
> patent office has awarded a patent to some sort of windowing methods
> for y2k.
That's insane! Who are the scum that patented that? Unisys or somebody?
Are they at least trying to get other companies to license the patents or
are they sticking to their exclusive use rights and saying that all other
software will just have to remain Y2K-noncompliant???
Even if they are licensing, they can't possibly expect the entire industry
to go to them to license such an obvious technique. Wow, I'm really shocked
about this (and surprised I haven't heard about it earlier).
> I haven't been able to find the full details of what is
> patented. I guess I am curious as to whether the windowing I used
> for dates in 1983 will be retroactively declared to violate that
> recent patent.
Out of curiosity, what kind of windowing were you doing in 1983? A 1-digit
year that had wrapped around or something?
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