protections and list volume

[lauren at rand-unix.ARPA]

Just because someone else invents some other way to do something,
it doesn't automatically destroy your algorithm protection.  If you had 
invented a new way to do process scheduling under trade secret,
and later someone else (unrelated to your code) invented some other
technique and published it, that does not necessarily impact your 
protection or your technique.  A lot depends on specifics and would
be sorted out only by expensive court battles if the protection were
called into question.

--Lauren--

P.S.  I CC'd the list specifically for this message, since I also
      wanted to use this message to appeal that this discussion not
      continue in this list much longer.  People are starting to drop off 
      the list all over the networks, and we are losing some of the
      people who make among the most significant contributions.
      I've gotten messages from over 20 people telling me to please
      add them to any software-ethics list, but that they were dropping
      off Unix-Wizards due to volume in any case.  

--LW--