From: Jon Lasser <jlasser@rwd.goucher.edu>
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 95 13:12:51 PDT
To: Russell Ross <rross@sci.dixie.edu>
Subject: Re: RC4
In-Reply-To: <v01520d01ac3c496012a1@[144.38.16.209]>
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.950726160640.3857A-100000@rwd.goucher.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Wed, 26 Jul 1995, Russell Ross wrote:

> I wasn't aware that you could copyright an algorithm.  Patent, yes, but not
> copyright.  Intellectual property meens secret, right?  Aren't there any
> precendence cases involving propriety schemes that are reverse engineered?
> I know there have been, I just can't remember what they are. 

There was one a few years back with a special chip in Nintendo cartridges 
that you needed to buy from them... it was against a company called Atari 
(no, not THAT atari (i think)), and was decided in Atari's favor.

Hope that helps...
Jon
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jon Lasser                <jlasser@rwd.goucher.edu>            (410) 494-3253 
          Visit my home page at http://www.goucher.edu/~jlasser/
  You have a friend at the NSA: Big Brother is watching. Finger for PGP key.