[Coco] Re: [Color Computer] History Bytes

[jdaggett at gate.net]

John

You can patent the process to make a chip including the way a 
internal hardware operates within a chip. The design of the chip and 
the way the instruction set is implemented are patentable. 

This is IP. It is most likely that many if not all the patents on  the 
6809 have now expired. The chip is 25 to 27 yrs old. I am not sure 
today how long one can extend a patent. It used to be a maximum 
of 17 yrs. Over the past yrs the push to preserve IP may have 
changed laws. 

You maybe right that none of the patents on the 6809 are 
enforceable and have expired. In that case a SoC based on a  6809 
is doable with no retribution from Motorola.

james

On 10 Jan 2005 at 17:52, John R. Hogerhuis wrote:

Subject:        	Re: [Coco] Re: [Color Computer] History 
Bytes
From:           	"John R. Hogerhuis" <jhoger at pobox.com>
To:             	CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts 
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> Well it depends on what you mean by IP. You cannot copyright facts or
> mechanisms like an instruction set. I don't know if you can patent an
> instruction set, but you could certainly patent certain aspects of it.
> However, unless there was something really innovative there, I doubt
> any of it is still protected by patent.