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Re: [oc] VHDL code for Bluetooth module




--- Victor the Cleaner <jonathan@canuck.com> wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 21, 2001 at 05:55:04PM +1100, John
> Dalton wrote:

> 
> Can you give us some pointers to the sources you're
> referencing?
> Where is the spec you're looking at, and exactly
> what does it say
> about its terms of use, licenses, royalties, and SIG
> membership?
>

You can visit the bluetooth site at www.bluetooth.com
 where you can find the standad, the license and the
SIG membership .
 
> I'm sure the information is there, but may need some
> interpretation.
> If the way it works is that by joining the SIG
> you're granted some
> sort of license, it might be a worthwhile thing to
> do, assuming the
> cost isn't insane - or they're willing to grant OC a
> membership.
> 
> Btw, this raises another question:  Has anyone
> considered incorporating
> OpenCores as a non-profit corporation, so it can
> have legal standing in
> such cases, accept 401(c)3 donations, etc.?
>
In fact I am trying to check this issue Do you have
any suggestion?
  
> > Does a patent violation occur when you *design*
> > a system, or when you *build* a system?
> 
> That sorta becomes an academic argument, I think. 
> Although doing a
> design is, strictly speaking, "use", nobody's going
> to know, and if
> they do, they won't care.  The patent holder is only
> going to care
> if someone is deriving material benefit from the use
> - or is depriving
> the patent holder of the material benefit to which
> they're entitled 
> under their patent rights.
>  
> > I always thought the idea of a patent system
> > was to encourage design and innovation.
> > The theory being that without a patent system
> > everyone keeps their secrets close to their
> > chest, slowing the rate of innovation.  With a
> > patent system information gets shared speeding
> > the pace of innovation.  Using this reasoning,
> > I would think it is always okay to use info
> > in patents to design things, the only problem
> > being once you build something and compete with
> > the patent holder.
> 
> That's half of it.  The reason for the 17-year
> patent protection
> limit is to encourage the inventor to innovate and
> exploit the
> invention in a *timely* fashion.  As in: Okay, we've
> given you
> exclusive rights to commercial exploitation of this
> Good Idea, 
> now get off your ass and do something with it,
> because in 17 years
> anyone who wants it is free to use it.
> 
> Jonathan
>  


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