Author: Juergen Wolf
Date: 03:39:38 12/23/04
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On December 22, 2004 at 19:27:58, Dann Corbit wrote: >On December 22, 2004 at 10:45:20, Rafael Vasquez wrote: > >>Hello, >> >>I´ve seen a lot of controversy on the "Crafty Clones" threads. >> >>But when Fritz implemented the null move algoritm in 1995, did beat >>Deep Thought (Hong Kong). >> >>Afterwards several engines (or most?) are using the null move technique. >> >>Can we call them "Fritz Clones" and ban then forever? >> >> >>:))) >> >>Rafael > >The idea of Null move was first desribed by Beal in 1989, and then by Goetsch >and Campbell in 1990. as far as i remember pitrat already describes nullmove in the early 80. i reused his idea of nullmove for the development of a chess-problem solver (my masterthesis). and pretty sure there are papers published earlier. > >The null move algorithm was never patented, and therefore anyone can write an >implementation of it. > >There is a difference between copyright protection (which covers a single >implementation [or 'instance'] of an algorithm) and a patent (which covers the >underlying idea). > >As an allegory, I can write a story about a bicycle race called "Le Malliot >Jaune" and publish that story. Another person cannot take my story, xerox it, >change 10 words and publish it under his own name. That is a copyright >violation. He can (however) write his own story about a bike race with very >similar ideas in it. > >On the other hand, I can invent a new cheese grater machine and get a patent on >it. If someone else uses elements of my design that are covered by the patent, >then I could sue them. Software patents are like that -- they protect the >fundamental ideas of the algorithm. > >I don't like software patents (and hence agree with this): >http://swpat.ffii.org/players/knuth/index.en.html > >But I would (of course) obey any laws regarding them.
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