From: alvoeiro@mail.esoterica.pt (Jorge Heitor C. Silva Alvoeiro)
Subject: RESEARCH: Patents for VR apps
Date: October 16, 1997


Hi all,

I have looked at the Summaries of some of the patented VR apps and
what is amazing is that some of the patents are done by people who
have not published any work in the area and ride on other's people
work.

For instances the patent about the:
5,675,746 Virtual reality generator for use with financial information

I have looked at it and not only there are references to projects
done by other people but the person that patents this 'system'
does not have any research referenced and the summary is so
open to argument that the patentee can claim that any commercial
information given by a database and placed in a VR system goes 
under the patent claim.

On the other hand the patent:
5,673,151 Image correction in virtual reality and heads up displays

provided by the V i/o company is quite clear what they have done
and there are NO references to anybody's work.

What is going on with the US patent system? Doesn't the patent of
something have to be original and without other people'e work.
This is just pure stealing of other people's ideas.
No wonder companies like Intel and Microsoft and others are at odds
with each other. The US patent system is just a very nice way of
being a robber without any problem of being taken to court.

Bye for now.
Jorge.

alvoeiro@mail.esoterica.pt (Jorge Heitor C. Silva Alvoeiro)