Amiga Inc AGA patents?

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When does the Amiga Inc AGA patents expire ..?

Also.. anyone compiled a list of the relevant Amiga patents from those online-patent-sites?

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2014 sounds plausible.

ECS were introduced in 1990, so no later than 2010 there.
AGA introduced in 1992, so no later than 2012.

To the first two posters, the length of patent is known (20y). The question is when the patent is filed.

Did a check now, patft.uspto.gov on Commodore-Amiga but it only shows a few patents:
Patent Title
1       5,103,499 Beam synchronized coprocessor
2       4,954,949 Universal connector device for bus networks in host computer/co-processor computer system
3       4,874,164 Personal computer apparatus for block transfer of bit-mapped image data
4       4,829,473 Peripheral control circuitry for personal computer
5       4,780,844 Data input circuit with digital phase locked loop
6       4,777,621 Video game and personal computer
7       4,772,882 Cursor controller user interface system

Filing dates between 1986-07-18 to 1989-10-16. The last one should expire this years autumn.
But did Commodore-Amiga only file 7 patents??

A search for "Commodore Business Machines" gives:
Patent Title
1       5,088,035 System for accelerating execution of program instructions by a microprocessor
2       4,989,174 Fast gate and adder for microprocessor ALU
3       4,886,941 Circuit for interfacing mouse input device to computer system
4       4,851,826 Computer video demultiplexer
5       4,813,671 Raster monitor for video game displays
6       4,761,736 Memory management unit for addressing an expanded memory in groups of non-contiguous blocks
7       4,686,487 Current mirror amplifier
8       4,677,890 Sound interface circuit
9       4,599,528 Self booting logical or circuit
10      4,572,506 Raster line comparator circuit for video game
11      4,570,085 Self booting logical AND circuit
12      4,569,019 Video sound and system control circuit
13      4,562,365 Clocked self booting logical "EXCLUSIVE OR" circuit
14      4,561,659 Display logic circuit for multiple object priority
15      D281,503 Printer
16      4,551,682 Digital sine-cosine generator
17      D280,322 Videogame cartridge case

Filing dates between 1983-04-04 to 1988-12-09.

Parameters to use for searching

Could "Commodore" hide under any other name?, or possible individual inventor?

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"Miner Jay" gives:
1       5,594,473 Personal computer apparatus for holding and modifying video output signals
2       5,103,499 Beam synchronized coprocessor
3       4,874,164 Personal computer apparatus for block transfer of bit-mapped image data
4       4,829,473 Peripheral control circuitry for personal computer
5       4,777,621 Video game and personal computer
6       4,471,465 Video display system with multicolor graphics selection
7       4,471,464 Data processing system with programmable graphics generator
8       4,471,463 Data processing system with programmable graphics generator
9       4,435,779 Data processing system with programmable graphics generator
10      4,404,972 Implantable device with microprocessor control
11      4,390,022 Implantable device with microprocessor control
12      4,296,476 Data processing system with programmable graphics generator

Filing dates 1979-01-08 to 1993-03-08.

"Haynie Dave" turned up nothing.

"MOS Technology" turned up:
2       4,212,100 Stable N-channel MOS structure
3       4,099,232 Interval timer arrangement in a microprocessor system
4       4,081,699 Depletion mode coupling device for a memory line driving circuit
5       4,074,301 Field inversion control for N-channel device integrated circuits
6       4,011,105 Field inversion control for N-channel device integrated circuits
7       3,991,307 Integrated circuit microprocessor with parallel binary adder having on-the-fly correction to provide decimal results
8       3,941,989 Reducing power consumption in calculators

Filing dates 1974-12-13 to 1977-09-23.

"Yannes Robert" turns up patent 4,677,890 filed in 1983-02-27.

A quick check btw, states:
"For (patent) applications that were pending on and for patents that were still in force on June 8, 1995, the patent term is either 17 years from the issue date or 20 years from the filing date of the earliest U.S. application to which priority is claimed (excluding provisional applications), the longer term applying"

Still nothing explicit "Advanced Graphics Architecture" (AGA).. any ideas on expiry?

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"Commodore Electronics Ltd":
1       6,484,189 Methods and apparatus for a multimedia authoring and presentation system
2       5,574,843 Methods and apparatus providing for a presentation system for multimedia applications
3       5,317,732 System for relocating a multimedia presentation on a different platform by extracting a resource map in order to remap and relocate resources
4       4,759,716 Rotating color mapped radar sweep simulator
5       4,388,563 Solid-state fluorescent lamp ballast

Filing dates 1981-05-26 - 1996-09-30.

GOSH.. finding thos pasky AGA related patents seems a pain-in-the-ass.

On a sidenote.. 68020 were released in 1984, and 68030 in 1987 so the CPU stuff should be in the clear.

The reason for interest is to know if the path to FPGA-AGA is blocked by a potential patent-troll attack from Gateway/Escom/Ewans etc..

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In these days with patent trolls and abused copyright laws. I wouldn't take that for granted.

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Not easy to catch them all when the paper record states "David B. Haynie" and the online record states "Haynie; David B." ..

Found with "Commodore Electronics Limited":
1       5,432,801 Method and apparatus for performing multiple simultaneous error detection on data having unknown format
2       5,421,590 Multiple linked game controllers
3       5,418,321 Audio channel system for providing an analog signal corresponding to a sound waveform in a computer system
4       5,412,667 Decoder for cross interleaved error correcting encoded data
5       D356,835 CD-ROM video game machine
6       5,317,732 System for relocating a multimedia presentation on a different platform by extracting a resource map in order to remap and relocate resources
7       5,313,300 Binary to unary decoder for a video digital to analog converter
8       5,293,606 Apparatus and method for transferring interleaved data objects in mass storage devices into separate destinations in memory
9       5,276,887 Bus arbitration system for granting bus access to devices following two-wire bus arbitration protocol and devices following three-wire bus arbitration protocol
10      D277,857 Computer
11      D277,855 Computer
12      D277,755 Computer
13      4,277,784 Switch scanning means for use with integrated circuits

Filing dates 1979-07-13 to 1993-07-23

Is it the "Filed" or "Date of patent" that is the starting date for the patent + 20 years or something else?, the infamous GIF/LZW patent was filed in 1983 and is said to have expired in 2003. So I assume the filing date is what counts?

Checking the US 5,276,887 patent at the European patent office. Reveals a related patent in Europe. But EP0518037 (A2, A3?) have a legal record effective in 1996-06-05 labeled "DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN". What to make out of this?

Anyway to find out who sits on "Commodore electronics Ltd" patent assets?

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According to wikipedia "Commodore International Corporation" .. "bought all the global rights, patents and assets to the Commodore brand in 2005". Assumably thats where the ball is now.

Otoh, the last ones expire in 2012 or so. And any FPGA board as such isn't likely to be claimed as infringing. As it in essence just contain the reconfigurable chip with some Audio/Video connections in essence.

The HDL code is another story. But then I guess it's of marginaly interest. And huge potential for backfiring if any Unisys stunt is attempted.

Summary of all patents found so far, with the still valid ones in bold:

Filed-date,  Patent-no,  Description
1996-09-30 6,484,189 Methods and apparatus for a multimedia authoring and presentation system
1995-01-17 5,574,843 Methods and apparatus providing for a presentation system for multimedia applications
1993-07-23 D356,835  CD-ROM video game machine
1993-07-23 5,432,801 Method and apparatus for performing multiple simultaneous error detection on data having unknown format
1993-07-23 5,421,590 Multiple linked game controllers
1993-07-08 5,412,667 Decoder for cross interleaved error correcting encoded data
1993-03-08 5,594,473 Personal computer apparatus for holding and modifying video output signals
1992-08-10 5,313,300 Binary to unary decoder for a video digital to analog converter
1992-00-15 5,418,321 Audio channel system for providing an analog signal corresponding to a sound waveform in a computer system
1991-06-06 5,276,887 Bus arbitration system for granting bus access to devices following two-wire bus arbitration protocol and devices following three-wire bus arbitration protocol
1991-04-26 5,317,732 System for relocating a multimedia presentation on a different platform by extracting a resource map in order to remap and relocate resources
1991-04-02 5,293,606 Apparatus and method for transferring interleaved data objects in mass storage devices into separate destinations in memory
1989-10-16 5,103,499 Beam synchronized coprocessor
1989-10-02 4,954,949 Universal connector device for bus networks in host computer
1988-10-27 4,989,174 Fast gate and adder for microprocessor ALU
1988-00-09 5,088,035 System for accelerating execution of program instructions by a microprocessor
1987-05-29 4,851,826 Computer video demultiplexer
1987-05-19 4,886,941 Circuit for interfacing mouse input device to computer system
1986-09-22 4,813,671 Raster monitor for video game displays
1986-07-28 4,686,487 Current mirror amplifier
1986-07-18 4,874,164 Personal computer apparatus for block transfer of bit-mapped image data
1986-07-18 4,829,473 Peripheral control circuitry for personal computer
1986-07-18 4,780,844 Data input circuit with digital phase locked loop
1986-07-18 4,772,882 Cursor controller user interface system
1986-03-21 4,759,716 Rotating color mapped radar sweep simulator
1986-01-02 4,761,736 Memory management unit for addressing an expanded memory in groups of non-contiguous blocks
1985-07-19 4,777,621 Video game and personal computer
1983-06-03 4,572,506 Raster line comparator circuit for video game
1983-06-03 4,569,019 Video sound and system control circuit
1983-05-16 4,471,465 Video display system with multicolor graphics selection
1983-04-29 4,471,464 Data processing system with programmable graphics generator
1983-04-22 4,471,463 Data processing system with programmable graphics generator
1983-04-04 D281,503  Printer
1983-04-04 D280,322  Videogame cartridge case
1983-02-27 4,677,890 Sound interface circuit
1983-01-17 4,599,528 Self booting logical or circuit
1983-01-17 4,570,085 Self booting logical AND circuit
1983-01-06 4,562,365 Clocked self booting logical
1983-01-06 4,561,659 Display logic circuit for multiple object priority
1983-01-03 4,551,682 Digital sine-cosine generator
1982-08-27 D277,857  Computer
1982-08-27 D277,855  Computer
1982-08-27 D277,755  Computer
1981-06-08 4,435,779 Data processing system with programmable graphics generator
1981-05-26 4,388,563 Solid-state fluorescent lamp ballast
1981-05-18 4,404,972 Implantable device with microprocessor control
1981-05-18 4,390,022 Implantable device with microprocessor control
1979-07-13 4,277,784 Switch scanning means for use with integrated circuits
1979-01-08 4,296,476 Data processing system with programmable graphics generator
1977-09-23 4,212,100 Stable N-channel MOS structure
1976-09-14 4,099,232 Interval timer arrangement in a microprocessor system
1976-09-14 4,081,699 Depletion mode coupling device for a memory line driving circuit
1976-00-01 4,074,301 Field inversion control for N-channel device integrated circuits
1975-09-16 3,991,307 Integrated circuit microprocessor with parallel binary adder having on-the-fly correction to provide decimal results
1975-09-15 4,011,105 Field inversion control for N-channel device integrated circuits
1974-00-13 3,941,989 Reducing power consumption in calculators

Do the still valid patents pose any legal risks to the current Amiga projects?

[freqmax]

Seems only two patents remains now..

Filed-date,  Patent-no,  Description
1996-09-30 6,484,189 Methods and apparatus for a multimedia authoring and presentation system
1995-01-17 5,574,843 Methods and apparatus providing for a presentation system for multimedia applications

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P.S. According to Franko nobody legally acquired the rights to anything! :lol:

So the Amiga ROMs are also "free" now?
(I wonder where the rights to them went)

You can also game the system to get more than 20 years, I believe some of the mp3 patents haven't expired yet because of this.

Do you mean submarine patents?

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ROMs are covered by copyright. But if noone can claim ownership, then no one can sue?

Seems like the chain is Commodore -> Escom -> Gateway -> Amino Development.
The latter then renamed themself to Amiga Inc. And that seems to be where the copyright lies. However it also seems Haage & Partner are the ones that has the actual source code..

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Don't assume sanity at USPTO or from lawyers ..

The big corporate ecosystem is grab - profit - and spit out. Impacts be damned.

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You may be right. The problem is the lack of information on this issue. There's not even an official duty to register like there is for patents.

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So the evil masterplan is to write a license contract with someone that claim they own the copyright and then when it's tried in court you can blame-someone-else ..? A complication is if that company is empty for money and your own company would then by demanded to provide compensation.

In essence if one has the financial resources and will to take the gamble one can make "legal" use of these ROMs.

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Compatibility, especially if software likes to rely on magic bytes..

"Hey we assume 0xc0ffee00 is at jump vector 0xdeadbeef so lets jump straight to 0x55891232 because super duper function is there.. !"

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At least AROS-m68k is not good enough for the UAE emulator for Unix. But I read that it should work on FPGA Replay.