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Subject: Re: question about definition of clones

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 18:29:35 08/22/05

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On August 22, 2005 at 12:43:28, Dann Corbit wrote:

>On August 21, 2005 at 15:52:02, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On August 21, 2005 at 14:58:45, Peter Fendrich wrote:
>>
>>>Technically it is not a clone but I think there is a limit somewhere that is
>>>hard to set...
>>>I mean there is a difference if you take influence from som specific function
>>>that you found compared to in detail study the whole program and trying to
>>>implement function after function. In both case I think that the original author
>>>at least deserves a thanks in the readme file.
>>>Cloning or not, I think that being open and honest about it is the key.
>>>
>>>/Peter
>>
>>This is a tough question.  If someone shows me a 1000 line program in language
>>X, and all I do is translate it to language Y, that has to be a clone.  But what
>>if I don't translate line by line, but function by function.  That is, I examine
>>the move generator, and then write an equivalent from scratch in a different
>>language.  Repeat for all functions.  Now it is harder.  But, IMHO, it is
>>_still_ a clone.  Crafty re-written in whatever language you choose will still
>>be crafty...
>
>PVS is not trivial.
>Most programs use it.
>They did not invent it.
>
>Which program was the inventor of hash tables for storing already searched
>positions?  Can others use this innovation?

Greenblatt's program.  1960's...

>
>Why should a chess program with only copyright protection be given patent level
>algorithm protection?

I don't know that it should.  But the point is the "copying of ideas" as opposed
to "copying of code".  There's a subtle difference, and no matter how you define
either, there is probably a sensible scenario that can be constructed to justify
doing either one...


>
>At any rate, I think that copying ideas will never create superiority (except
>for the very short term).  It is innovation that will create long term growth.
>
>I think that most programmers have caught onto that now.

No, otherwise you would never see such strong programs show up with less than a
year's effort behind them...





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