[ODE] Quickstep and patents

[John Miles]

> Saying "mp3 is just an application of the fourier transform" is like 
> saying "a car is just some shaped steel." The parts that are patent have 
> to do with psycho-acoustics, quantization and noise shaping, which were 
> all quite valid advances when the patents were filed. The reason we 
> think they're "obvious" now is that, because the company gets protection 
> from the patents, they can afford to publish and let their techniques be 
> known. If we didn't have patents, we'd have large bastions of corporate 
> secrets, and nobody would willingly publish any of their internal 
> knowledge. 

Pure, unadulterated horse shit.

Although, I agree, it doesn't belong on this list.

-- john