> From: Xavier Amatriain xamat*iua.upf.es > To: iua-mtg*iua.upf.es > Subject: Graphical dataflow programs violate patents > Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 10:57:56 +0100 > > I read that National Circuits sued and won a case against Mathworks > for their Simulink product infringing a number of paterns (September > this year). > > According to a summary of the claims (which you can read here > http://cafc.bna.com/03-1540.pdf): the dispute was about the term "data > flow diagrams" (which are interpreted) as a graphical computer program > whose execution follows a set of semantic or operational rules as > follows: > > 1. The order of the operations is not completely specified by the user > 2. The order of operations is implied by data interdependencies > 3. a node may only execute after all its inputs have become available, > and, > 4. outputs are generated after a node completes execution > > It turns out that most graphical audio programs such as Max, Pd, OSW > or CLAM's Network Editor may be infringing these patents. Luckily this > is still not valid in Europe and we hope will never be. Read more about this story at: * http://cafc.bna.com/03-1540.pdf * http://patentlaw.typepad.com/patent/2004/09/federal_circuit.html * http://digital.ni.com/worldwide/bwcontent.nsf/web/all/03B9A7C68030C42D86256F08006499CD * http://www.mathworks.com/company/pressroom/articles/article7951.html * http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/16801