[OT] Patent protection

["Ethical at One of One dot Net" <ethical@1of1.net>]

In <19991214210854.A31727@omnifarious.mn.org>, on 12/14/99 at 10:15
PM,
   "Eric M. Hopper" <hopper@omnifarious.mn.org> said:

|	This is one of the reasons I find patent and copyright law to be
|somewhat disturbing, and in need of some rethinking.  What would've
|happened if Einstein had tried to patent General Relativity, or had
|copyrighted the formula 'E = mc^2'?

Not possible.

Patents are not available for "algorithms" or for discoveries as
opposed to inventions.

The formula E=mc^2, likewise, is too short (the courts use the Latis
phrase de minimis) to be subject to copyright protection.

No "rethinking" of the current state of the law is necessary to allay
your concern. 

-- 
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"Ethical at One of One dot Net" <ethical@1of1.net>   
[T. Guilbert]
Past president, Oregon Patent Law Association 
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