lauren@rand-unix.ARPA (03/06/85)
Just because someone else invents some other way to do something,
it doesn't automatically destroy your algorithm protection. If you had
invented a new way to do process scheduling under trade secret,
and later someone else (unrelated to your code) invented some other
technique and published it, that does not necessarily impact your
protection or your technique. A lot depends on specifics and would
be sorted out only by expensive court battles if the protection were
called into question.
--Lauren--
P.S. I CC'd the list specifically for this message, since I also
wanted to use this message to appeal that this discussion not
continue in this list much longer. People are starting to drop off
the list all over the networks, and we are losing some of the
people who make among the most significant contributions.
I've gotten messages from over 20 people telling me to please
add them to any software-ethics list, but that they were dropping
off Unix-Wizards due to volume in any case.
--LW--