Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #07165
To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: Bob Shannon bshannon@tiac.net
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 09:15:37 -0400
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Micro Motors, Skitters, and BeetleBots
Mark Dalton wrote:
> I do not censor ANYONEs postings.. Stop spreading false information.
>
> THe focus of the list is Robotics, not patents and legal issues,
> there are entire newsgroups that focus on these..
>
> As we have spoken about this MANY times before, this is not really
> a robotics or technical issue.
>
> Again, if you have moral character, you will not violate the patent
> or any copy rights. Any respectable person or company before selling
> anything will do the proper research, contact the appropriate people,
> and will do things legally.
>
> Mark
Whoa there Mark,
I think you have mistepped badly right here.
If your have a moral and ethical character, you will not claim the intellectual
property of the many who came first.
The discussion of BEAM patents often revolves around exactly this, and also
the still unanswered question of what (leagally) ~is~ beam in the first place.
Discussion threads on this list have consistantly shown that there is not a proper
understanding of just what intellectual property rightfully belongs to whom, what
(if any) is in the public domain, or even what legal protection actually exists.
Look at the Popular Electronic photovore article. The list was jumping up and down
about how Tilden should sue, but then we learn that Tilden did not originate the
1381 based SE. We are building myths here.
As far as calling what is, and what is not off topic, I think you might try to be a
bit more consistant in the future, in the interest of morals and honesty. Even if
this thread has been discussed before, there may be new opinions and ideas. I dont
think its appropriate to stomp the thread for this reason alone, after all, how
many times have we discussed some SE or other BEAM circuit over and over again?
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