Re: [Devel] AntiAliasing Patents

[Antoine]

Hi,

> Am I correct in assuming that other than the 3 Apple patents noted on
> your patent information page, a search of patents turned up no other
> potential patent infringements for the creation or  use of  FreeType.

Please take care to note that "potential patent infringement" is a
controversial thing in nature. For example, one may claim she holds a patent
on quadratic spline, which may cause an infringement for Freetype (of
course, this exposition is oversimplistic.)

Also please record that David and Werner are under Non-Disclosure Agreement
with Apple about the patent issue. So there are things they cannot explain.

By the way, there are at least 5 patents; apart form the (original) 3 US
ones, there are at least a French one (which is a problem since David
operates from France... meanwhile France is not supposed to accept "software
patents", by the way) and another I do not remember if it is British or
Japanese.
Also, Microsoft surely does hold patents on font-related things (I have seen
at least 3 of them, apart from ClearType), and I have no way to say if
"potentially" Freetype infringe them. I have also repeatly ask if Microsoft
or Adobe did have "in the filer" patents about OpenType, which may present
dangers about writing OpenType software, and did not get any answer at all.

As a bottom line, and giving the present importance of the lawyers in this
area, it appears:
 - you cannot get definitive answers, or even at least clear ones, because
no-one want to exhibit or engage its future strategy;
 - if you want to act "with certainty", you have to conduct a patent
research (which costs money, but then in case of suits, you can exhibit as a
proof of goodwill);
 - if you do not have the money, you continue working, but you should assume
the risk to be backstabbed later (meaning your work becomes valueless);
 - if you want to become richer, you become a lawyer ;-).


Antoine