stephens@motcid.UUCP (Kurt Stephens) (08/25/90)
----- Begin Included Message ----- From uunet!mcsun!dircon!uad1077 Fri Aug 24 13:35:22 1990 To: motcid!stephens Subject: Re: A modest proposal Newsgroups: comp.graphics In-Reply-To: <4329@cherry6.UUCP> References: <1990Aug15.012204.19344@watserv1.waterloo.edu> Cc: Message-Id: <9008241858.AA18645@dircon.UUCP> Date: 24 Aug 90 18:58:40 BST (Fri) From: uunet!dircon!uad1077 Status: R Uhhh, how are you getting around the fact that the list of Renderman procedure names is itself copyright? I'm currently also running into a problem that jittered sampling is patented by Pixar. I'm currently seeking calrification, but if it turns out they have a stranglehold on *that* technology, then developing a renderer that gives comparable quality without taking a lot longer to run is going to be sufficiently difficult that I for one would be loath to give it away... -- Ian D. Kemmish Tel. +44 767 601 361 18 Durham Close uad1077@dircon.UUCP Biggleswade ukc!dircon!uad1077 Beds SG18 8HZ United Kingd uad1077%dircon@ukc.ac.uk My own Modem! My own opinions!!! ----- End Included Message ----- I think if the implementation is non-for-profit, would they give us any hassle? They want people to use it. Autodesk (AutoCAD) is listed in the Ri mailer as using the Ri standard. I wonder if they are paying for Ri licences (doubtful) or for Pixar's renderers bundled with it. Think of all the PD UNIX (R) 'ls' command clones for MSDOS. Is AT&T suing? Is Adobe suing the people who developed Ghostscript. Companies that deseminate standards information only win in the long run; More people will use the proposed standard, and purchase THEIR products. I think this was their intention. Could someone from Pixar, please help us out here? P.S. I hope this doesn't sound like a flame, because that is not my intention. Sincerly, -- Kurt A. Stephens ...!uunet!motcid!stephens