Some (AMD) software patent stupidity

[MfA]

I was looking around what was available to automatically create efficient atlases from ptex textures and I ran into some stupidity.

This is a software patent application for a technique potentially relevant to games development. I don't particularly like software patents, especially not for techniques useful for game engines. Clearly hurting progress in general is one thing, but hurting game development is just evil.

No need to worry in this case though, because what disguised itself as a patent application is actually just a waste of time and money. Even if some parts of it are not invalidated by the prior art (grace period was long gone) the inventor list is going to be a small problem if they ever wanted to exercise this.

The patent assessment and preliminary rejection impressed me in it's level of detail, legalese semantic games aside. Pity he didn't use google before wasting a couple of days on that.

Money being well spent all around.

 

[lanek]

AMD will surely never sue anyone about it anyway.

You know, most of thoses type of patent are not there for determine a rejection of use of it outside AMD, but just for say they have done it at first .. even Nvidia can use this, and have allready do it.

For make it simple, this patent is just there, in the case someone like, let say Nvidia is using it and then, try to prevent AMD of using it... or try to proprietaize it..

 

[pMax]

For make it simple, this patent is just there, in the case someone like, let say Nvidia is using it and then, try to prevent AMD of using it... or try to proprietaize it..

that is the defensive usage of patents.
However, how would you i.e. call the 'tax' (someone would call it extortion) of MS on Android devices?

 

[lanek]

that is the defensive usage of patents.
However, how would you i.e. call the 'tax' (someone would call it extortion) of MS on Android devices?

2 different cases .. Have we ever see AMD use this type of patent for sue anyone ?.. its not the first patent of this type that they own.. i mean look at their portfolio..

For be honest, i dont like it, software code, should never been patented at first..

 

[pMax]

For be honest, i dont like it, software code, should never been patented at first..

Don't know how old are you, yet I remember Mike Abrash saying the same about software patents on DDJ like ...uuuh? 2 decades ago? time passes so fast

 

[silent_guy]

These kind of patents are a win-win for everybody who's actually involved and they don't matter for those who are not.

The inventor can put it on his resume, and will get some financial bonus as well.

The company can claim X amount of patents in some documentation.

The lawyers and the patent office workers gets a lot of money as well.

And it wil never ever go to trial, so who cares?