[Asterisk-Users] Digium and mailing lists

[Steve Underwood]

Kevin Walsh wrote:

>Steve Underwood [steveu at coppice.org] wrote:
>  
>
>>Kevin Walsh wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>I seem to remember you asking several people to do some research
>>>before asking dumb questions.  It's probably about time for me to
>>>suggest that you take your own advice.
>>>
>>>If you do, you'll find that "signal processing" algorithms, in fact
>>>all forms of mathematics, are NOT PATENTABLE in the free world.
>>>(Americans don't understand freedom.)
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>Correct. Signal processing algorithms are not patentable in most places.
>>Applied signal processing methods are.
>>
>>    
>>
>Only when "applied" by creating a physical device.  I understand that
>software "devices" are allowed by the USPTO, but that's exactly the
>point you're missing: The USPTO only applies to the USA, other countries
>have other patent rules, and most countries don't consider software
>applications to be patentable.  If you have another meaning of "applied"
>in the context of G.729 patents then please explain further.
>  
>
So you can you do G.729 compression without a physical device? Neat 
trick. Can I see? :-)

I'm from the UK. When I lived there I never knew anyone in telecoms DSP 
who had any doubt about the patentability of these things. That's why 
they took out so many patents. :-)

That's enough. This is getting tedious. Some people want to believe that 
codecs can't be patented so much, there really is no arguing with them - 
despite what the patent databases in Europe might say.

Steve