From: Xavier Amatriain
To: iua-mtg@iua.upf.es
Subject: Graphical dataflow programs violate patents
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 10:57:56 +0100

I read that National Circuits sued and won a case against Mathworks
for their Simulink product infringing a number of paterns (September
this year).

According to a summary of the claims (which you can read here
http://cafc.bna.com/03-1540.pdf): the dispute was about the term "data
flow diagrams" (which are interpreted) as a graphical computer program
whose execution follows a set of semantic or operational rules as
follows:

1. The order of the operations is not completely specified by the user
2. The order of operations is implied by data interdependencies
3. a node may only execute after all its inputs have become available,
and,
4. outputs are generated after a node completes execution

It turns out that most graphical audio programs such as Max, Pd, OSW
or CLAM's Network Editor may be infringing these patents. Luckily this
is still not valid in Europe and we hope will never be.

Read more about this story at:

http://patentlaw.typepad.com/patent/2004/09/federal_circuit.html
http://digital.ni.com/worldwide/bwcontent.nsf/web/all/03B9A7C68030C42D86256F08006499CD
http://www.mathworks.com/company/pressroom/articles/article7951.html
http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/16801