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0 pointsWaxProlix10y ago0 comments

Sort of ignorant and at least a little tangential here, but the notion of 'licensing' an instruction set seems a lot like licensing an API (cf the Java API copyright controversy) - are there parallels/precedents here or is it an unrelated issue?

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kragen10y ago

The Federal Circuit's idiocy in the Oracle case aside, it's well established that copyrights don't cover methods of operation such as APIs or instruction sets. It's also well established that patents do, and that's what ARM licenses. Also they bundle mask works and copyrightable HDL code.

WaxProlixOP10y ago

Cool, thanks for responding - what is it about an ISA that makes it patentable where an interface might not be?

kragen10y ago

Interfaces are also patentable.

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0 pointsWaxProlix10y ago0 comments

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kragen10y ago

WaxProlixOP10y ago

Cool, thanks for responding - what is it about an ISA that makes it patentable where an interface might not be?

kragen10y ago

Interfaces are also patentable.

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