Re: overloaded function handles

[Søren Hauberg]

tor, 30 07 2009 kl. 09:01 +0200, skrev Jaroslav Hajek:
> I'm not sure what to do now. Maybe a compile-time flag disabling the
> possibly infringing feature would help? (I doubt it, though).
> I don't know the US laws. In CZ, for instance, usage of a patented
> invention for non-business purposes does not constitute an
> infringement. If a similar clause applies in the US, many users would
> be safe just because of that.
> 
> Maybe it would be sufficient if Octave displayed a message at startup
> that certain features may be subject to patent claims, and that users
> should be aware of it. After all, I think nobody can actually
> guarantee that Octave infringes no patents even now (for instance, as
> I said, I think symbol_table::fcn_info is at least pretty close to
> infringing the same patent).
> 
> If this is considered too much of a danger by US users, then I think
> we should just fork a patent-free branch for the US, and omit this
> feature and other possibly patented future features (such as JIT
> acceleration).

I have the wonderful luxury of not being a US citizen, so my opinion
caries less weight (I'm not the one who could be potentially damaged).
That being said, I find all your suggestions silly, because the American
patent system is so ridicules that we are most certainly already
infringing on a bunch of patents already. Heck, you can hardly develop a
"Hello, World" application these days without infringing on something.

So, my opinion is to ignore the issue (but as I said, I'm not the one
who could get burned, so it's easy for me to say this).

Soren