From Luuk.van.Dijk@xs4all.nl  Tue Dec 12 17:25:16 2000
Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2000 18:25:16 +0100
From: Luuk van Dijk Luuk.van.Dijk@xs4all.nl
Subject: [Patents] computer doing the inventing

Xavier Drudis Ferran wrote:
> If you can invent it just by having a program generate
> random circuits and SPICE analyze them to see if they work, then that
> means the patent owner should be the random circuit generator, not
> you, and since computer software is not considered people in Europe,
> your random circuit generator couldn't be the patent owner,
> the patent wouldn't be possible.
> 

Actually this is exactly (well, nearly) what has been done: 
	http://www.genetic-programming.com/johnkoza.html


Koza is one of the leading figures in the field of evolutionary computing,
and uses the fact that he can automatically generate electronic circuits
and chemical cycles that *have been patented* to illustrate that Genetic
Programming solves the ambition of artificial intelligence: having computers
solve problems without telling them step by step how to do it.

They actually used SPICE to simulate the circuits.
Guess what. Koza holds some patents on the method of Genetic Programming.

This is not some remote weird fruitcake wannabe-science, It is a blossoming field with 2-3 large annual conferences, and very many publications over the past decade.
(eg. http://ls11-www.informatik.uni-dortmund.de/people/banzhaf/cfp.html)


Thought this migt be relevant.

Luuk van Dijk

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Mind over Matter         Mind.over.Matter@xs4all.nl
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