"Curiosity is the very basis of education and if you tell me that curiosity killed the cat, I say only that the cat died nobly."
- Arnold Edinborough
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Query FailedWalt Donovan
Saturday, March 19, 2011

Ugh. I didn't mention the patent with the intent of preventing people from using the idea in a present-day shader, but to give yet another example of good ideas being reinvented.

My apologies -- I won't mention anything else I might have invented.

Personally, I think software and business method patents and patents on DNA codes are an abhorrent use of the idea of patents. Software is mathematics, which cannot be patented. Business methods are analogous to software. And you didn't invent DNA, evolution did.

Again, let me apologize if in any way that patent prevents you from using the algorithm. You'd have to read exactly what was claimed, by the way, in order to determine if you are infringing. (That is, the similarity of the algorithms is irrelevant; what matters is the exact wording of the claims in the patent.)
Rob L.
Friday, March 18, 2011

It may be naive, but being a European developer I nearly ignore the very existence of software patents (with the exception of the occasional EU petition against them, which I of course sign). As long as the EU and the country in which I reside don't recognize software as "patentable", I feel safe.
So, because I don't develop software for the US retail market at the moment, I couldn't care less about them.

You are an EU citizen, the software you provide on this site is educational in nature and is for free, so why bother?
If you must, just ask a lawyer or maybe somebody at your employer, who can give you a general advise for free (which in this case is synonymous with buying that person lunch and / or beer ;^) ). Somebody surely does have to keep track of such issues there.

Well, keep up the good work and keep us updated should you find out about anything interesting about US patents in the EU. (Yes, I wrote I don't care, but that goes either way: knowing or not knowing about something.) ;^)

Best regards,

Rob


PS: I'm on Twitter now as well. And it's only because of your post. ;^p

PPS: I even tweeted you a link regarding the EU's stance on software patents.
Christian Nilsendahl
Friday, March 18, 2011

But can software patents hinder people from using the code in freeware or open source projects anywhere in the world? As long as there is no money involved, you can't get fined right?
anon
Friday, March 18, 2011

The patent thicket is pretty messy, and since in the US you pay quadruple damages for knowingly violating a patent vs. unknowingly, for all intents and purposes Walt has just guaranteed his technique won't get used by readers of this blog (at least American ones) until 2013 or 2016 or whenever exactly it expires.
Humus
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

I find the idea very appealing. Patents not so much. I'm sure it was quite a lot of work back then to come up with it, but today it just seems like good use of existing tools available in modern graphics hardware. From idea to working prototype took me a couple of hours, and from that to a complete demo just another few hours.

For someone who is not fluent in legalese, what would the legal ramification of the existence of that patent be? Has it expired by now (filed in 1996)? Would a pure shader implementation be affected (which is arguably software)? I believe software patents are still not valid in EU. Is the patent valid at all outside of the US?
Walt Donovan
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Grats on rediscovering what I patented a long time ago! See US patent #6005580. I always thought it was a good idea myself.
Humus
Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Rich: Sure. I made this DX10 out of convenience, but it could easily be done on DX9 hardware such as consoles. I think this technique would likely come out on top over MLAA, even for full game geometry, but it would consume more memory.
zhugel_007
Tuesday, March 15, 2011

I agree that MSAA has the same problem since the alpha test is done per pixel rather than per sample. (Yea, I've seen your alpha to coverage demo long time ago, really nice demo. )
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