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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: 3D pie widget
From:       John Corey <jcorey () fruity ! ath ! cx>
Date:       1999-09-28 21:13:44
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Rik Hemsley wrote:
> 
> #if Amaury JACQUOT
> > I do agree. However, if you vant to implement this same function in
> > kspread,
> > you're screwed....
> > furthermore, I found another one referenced to on slashdot which
> > partents these
> > (sorry for the crude drawing)
> 
> Not bad. I get what it is, though is the one marked 50% really supposed
> to be that small ;)
> 
> I've decided the US is screwed, if they let people patent pie charts.
> 
> Has anyone actually patented the basic pie chart ? How can you let
> people patent stuff like this ?
> 
> I'm going to patent this:
> 'A graph drawing utility which fails to generate the pixel data correctly
> and crashes'
> 
> That should keep me in US dollars for a bit. Maybe then I'll patent the
> use of unary currency values. That'll fox 'em.
> 
> Cheers,
> Rik

The biggest problem with our little system is half the lack of
knowledgeable patent clerks and half because it's relatively cheap to
get a patent.  Use such goofy, vague language that the clerk doesn't
have any idea what it is, and they'll OK it.  It costs a few thousand
dollars to get a patent, but then to fight the patent holder in court
can run up tens/hundreds of thousand in legal bills.  So, most companies
that get the letter saying "I own the patent on walking" will just pay
off the patent holder with $50,000 or whaever as it's cheaper than
fighing for years in court.

So we end up in this perpetual loop.  There's money to be mad patenting
the ridiculous so people will do it.  Then getting Congress off their
butts to change the laws is just as impossible...

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