[opensuse] US Patent, Subpixel Hinting and Liberation fonts
Hi, Somewhere on the net a read that the MS patents (in that regards all US patents) does not apply outside US. Is that true?!!? My issue is to decide if I can enable sub pixel hinting or not? Is there any open equivalent to the technology?
From what I have read, the Liberation fonts (RedHat) eventually will not require subpixel hinting to look good. That doesn't make sence to me. My misunderstanding or is it true? Any technical overview on that?
Regards, Mohammad -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Mohammad Bhuyan wrote:
Hi,
Somewhere on the net a read that the MS patents (in that regards all US patents) does not apply outside US. Is that true?!!?
US patents are US patents only. One may file separately for patents in Europe for the same invention. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Friday 15 June 2007 18:36, Mohammad Bhuyan wrote:
Hi,
Somewhere on the net a read that the MS patents (in that regards all US patents) does not apply outside US. Is that true?!!?
My issue is to decide if I can enable sub pixel hinting or not?
What do you think might happen if you do enable it? If you guessed "nothing other than better font rendering," you're right! I've rebuilt the FreeType package for my 10.0 system to allow this. I'm very picky about fonts, and for my tastes and preferences, it's by far the best to have the hint interpreter on.
Is there any open equivalent to the technology?
Patents cover concepts, so if the patent were valid, there'd be no "open equivalent." On the other hand, if "software patent" is an oxymoron to you, then yes. And one name it goes by is "FreeType." Opinions vary on the moral validity of software patents. Thank god, everyone agrees completely on gene patents...
...
Anyway, lest all my tongue-in-check ramblings be misinterpreted, you should feel perfectly free to use and configure the software you have in the way you see fit. That includes rebuilding the FreeType renderer to enable the hint interpreter.
Mohammad
Randall Schulz -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Anyway, lest all my tongue-in-check ramblings be misinterpreted, you should feel perfectly free to use and configure the software you have in the way you see fit. That includes rebuilding the FreeType renderer to enable the hint interpreter.
I agree completely on the freedom over patents (or to say no to patents) but unfortunately the existing law framework is not yet in agreement with me. Though I am sure it is going to be very hard (or virtually impossible?) for a company to find out if I am violating any patents in my personal desktop / laptop but I was thinking in terms of "living green". Completely avoiding the use of the product/service offering that does not fit the "right way of doing it". Regards, Mohammad -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 The Saturday 2007-06-16 at 15:56 +1000, Mohammad Bhuyan wrote: ...
I agree completely on the freedom over patents (or to say no to patents) but unfortunately the existing law framework is not yet in agreement with me. Though I am sure it is going to be very hard (or virtually impossible?) for a company to find out if I am violating any patents in my personal desktop / laptop but I was thinking in terms of "living green". Completely avoiding the use of the product/service offering that does not fit the "right way of doing it".
It depends on the laws of the country you live in. You would have to ask a lawyer in your country. - -- Cheers, Carlos E. R. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.5 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Made with pgp4pine 1.76 iD8DBQFGc7fstTMYHG2NR9URAgpBAJ9tXcl7SmGmmZ/juded5yIWyExUvgCdF6o2 CYdyDOlh7VvcvhVJDKIlNVA= =ckDh -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Sat, 2007-06-16 at 11:36 +1000, Mohammad Bhuyan wrote:
Hi,
Somewhere on the net a read that the MS patents (in that regards all US patents) does not apply outside US. Is that true?!!?
It is true. For example, that is how Swedish Ericsson was able to make telephones without paying any royalties way back when: Bell forgot to get a patent in Sweden. -- Roger Oberholtzer OPQ Systems / Ramböll RST Ramböll Sverige AB Kapellgränd 7 P.O. Box 4205 SE-102 65 Stockholm, Sweden Tel: Int +46 8-615 60 20 Fax: Int +46 8-31 42 23 -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Sunday 17 June 2007, Roger Oberholtzer wrote:
Somewhere on the net a read that the MS patents (in that regards all US patents) does not apply outside US. Is that true?!!?
It is true. For example, that is how Swedish Ericsson was able to make telephones without paying any royalties way back when: Bell forgot to get a patent in Sweden.
Except I believe that now days, there are several patent treaties where signatories agree to honor the patents of other countries. Some of these are bilateral, but others cover large numbers of countries. http://www.bitlaw.com/source/treaties/pct.html link is a treaty that governs how a country specific patent can also be filed as an international patent. -- _____________________________________ John Andersen -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
John Andersen wrote:
Except I believe that now days, there are several patent treaties where signatories agree to honor the patents of other countries. Some of these are bilateral, but others cover large numbers of countries.
http://www.bitlaw.com/source/treaties/pct.html link is a treaty that governs how a country specific patent can also be filed as an international patent.
Interesting link. Perhaps even more interesting is http://www.bitlaw.com/patent/international.html which explains a little about what that treaty actually means (hint, it's different to the suggestions above) Cheers, Dave -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
participants (7)
-
Carlos E. R. -
Dave Howorth -
John Andersen -
Mohammad Bhuyan -
Randall R Schulz -
Roger Oberholtzer -
Tony Alfrey