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Subject: Re: What constitutes a clone?

Author: Dan Honeycutt

Date: 10:11:19 02/16/05

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On February 16, 2005 at 12:20:14, Antonio Dieguez wrote:

>On February 16, 2005 at 11:37:42, Dan Honeycutt wrote:
>
>>On February 16, 2005 at 08:27:51, Charles Roberson wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>  I agree with Uri. Not everything is publicly known.
>>>
>>>  I have some secrets in my new program. When I am done with the research on
>>>  them, I may publish them in a journal. But, until then they are not known.
>>>  I've read all of the related articles in the last 30 years of the ICCA
>>>  journals and there is nothing similar in there. I've also scanned the
>>>  net and found nothing like them.
>>
>>I don't have any secrets, but if I did I've wondered about the following
>>scenario:
>>
>>I find a new trick that gives my program a nice boost.  I figure with some
>>refinement it may have commercial potential.  I enter it in a tournament.  It is
>>alleged to be a clone.  Rules state, in such case I show my source to some
>>committee established by the tournament organizers.  I fear that if I do so my
>>discovery will no longer remain secret.
>>
>>What do I do?
>>
>>What would you do?
>
>I would give the code.
>Anyway if it is acussed to be a clone, it will be acused to be a clone of a
>certain other program, and they only need to compare a little both programs.

You bring up a good idea.  I would, of course try to reach an agreement with the
organizers.  My thought was that I form my own committee seeking people like
Dann Corbit, Bob Hyatt and others well known and respected in computer chess.  I
would propose to the organizers that I send my source to them and we both accept
their judgement.

Your idea may be better.  I'd have to be accused of being a clone of XYZ.  So we
compare my move generator with XYZ, my passed pawn eval with XYZ etc. until they
are satisfied that it is no clone an I still keep my secret.

Dan H.


>And anyway, most probably they will ask for something like that only if it is
>probably a clone, not just because.
>Also in general in order to register a software, if you want to do it, you also
>have to give the source code, if you don't trust them how you would do it,
>giving them and almost ilegible copy in paper? :)
>
>zodiamoon



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