Author: Dann Corbit
Date: 10:18:58 01/26/99
Go up one level in this thread
I don't think that any of these tests will prove anything. During the KKUP2, after producing a move and emailing it, I would start Crafty on the response to the move that Crafty suspected. Only three or four times during the course of the game was an unexpected move delivered so that I had to redo the analysis. That way, as soon as I got the move, I could deliver the response most of the time and speed up the game quite a bit. So my point is that excellent programs are going to play pretty much alike. On the other hand, I could fiddle with the eval function and make it play only slightly poorer, and have it disagree more often with only microscopic changes to the code (e.g. make a pawn worth 1.12 instead of 1 -- alter king safety a bit -- whatever). Changing 1 (count it -- one) line of code could radically change play. Changing 90% of the code might not. So the amount of recoding and the difference in playing style don't necessarily have any connection. So, in summary, it is going to be very difficult to show anything substantial with any amount of certainty. And even if the programs matched 100% it would be possible that only a tiny fraction of the original code was used. The only way to know is to see the new code or to get and believe testimony from the one making the changes. At any rate, I am fairly certain that it would be illegal for bionic impakt to become a commercial program because of copyright violations. Even the use to which it has been put is very questionable to me. On the other hand, I do not think that either party intentionally meant to harm. I think that the largest part of the problem is simply missing communication. Lots of unspoken/unwritten assumptions turned out to be incorrect (for both parties). I do hope that everything can be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.
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