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[Fwd: Re: code server patent]



not sure if this made it to the list (my dad is not a subscriber, and i only got one copy), forwarding two messages now ...

please cc all correspondance about this topic to chris.pickett@mail.mcgill.ca and sfbp@microtopia.net (and the list too, unless you want it off-list) just to make sure we get everything.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: code server patent
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 18:49:34 -0700
From: Stephen Pickett <sfbp@microtopia.net>
Organization: REC Software Inc.
To: lrtaylor@micron.com
CC: rpm-list@redhat.com, Christopher Pickett <chris.pickett@mail.mcgill.ca>
References: 363801FFD7B74240A329CEC3F7FE4CC4A275AF@ntxboimbx07.micron.com"><363801FFD7B74240A329CEC3F7FE4CC4A275AF@ntxboimbx07.micron.com>


Ah, well, we filed in 1991.

I disclosed the elements of this scheme in July 1992 (at the MS developers' conference in San Francisco that introduced NT) to one of the Sun Labs folks, who in particular was most intrigued by the use of pcode in the preferred embodiment of the patent (they call it "bytecode" as you know), commenting something like "gee, we forgot all about *that*".

Without investing in conspiracy theories, I think there's a good chance that we can prove that the radical change in Green/Oak described on p.2-3 of "Inside Java" (Siyan & Weaver) may date from shortly after this.

What you may be saying in effect is, why didn't we go after them 7 years ago?

If you are interested, follow the links to the patent at

http://www.microtopia.ca/patent.html

However (mea culpa) I just found out the link to IBM's patent server is bust. The EU patent server link is still good, though.

sfbp

lrtaylor@micron.com wrote:

Isn't that also basically the process that Java goes through when loading an application?  Java's been around for at least 7 years...

Thanks,
Lyle Taylor
IS Applications

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Mielke [mailto:mark@mark.mielke.cc]
Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 4:27 PM
To: rpm-list@redhat.com
Cc: Stephen Pickett
Subject: Re: code server patent

How about a query regarding the validity of the patent?

Do you think people haven't done this sort of thing for decades now? How
many other 'remarkably similar' patents do you suppose might exist?

What is unique about this patent?

mark

On Wed, Sep 10, 2003 at 03:51:08PM -0400, Chris Pickett wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have some questions about a code server patent belonging to REC
> Software Inc. (my dad's company) and I was wondering if somebody here
> can help me out.
>
> It's a patent that describes dynamic (and automatic) software
> installation over a network.  You start executing some module, and it
> goes out and finds the other pieces you need (based on the existing
> "check every piece is there before executing" process) and installs them
> in the background.  It can also be used for software updates and
> software subscriptions.  This isn't remote execution we're talking
> about, the code actually runs on the client.
>
> My questions are:
>
> 1) Given that you guys are installation people does this sound at all
> useful?
> 2) Who can we talk to in more detail about this?
>
> I know software patents are considered evil, the possibility of giving
> this thing away exists, but we'd need some convincing that it would be
> worthwhile (in a specific context, not general "it's worthwhile to give
> any patent away" stuff).
>
> Feel free to send me a personal email or respond to this list -- either
> is fine.  I thought rpm would be a good place to start asking
> questions.  I have some familiarity with GNU/Linux (I work on an open
> source Java VM called SableVM), my father has until now (!) been a
> Windows developer.  I have no familiarity with the technical details of
> rpm, but have used it on occasion (Debian is the distribution of choice
> for my university).
>
> Cheers,
> Chris Pickett
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Rpm-list mailing list
> Rpm-list@redhat.com
> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/rpm-list

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