Re: [Patents] Russell's contempt for the motivation of scientists and engineers

[Gregory Aharonian <srctran@world.std.com>]

Roland Orre writes:
>I can't see how an ordinary circuit diagram can be patentable.

Do you know anything about the patent system? Have you ever looked at
patents?  There are millions of patents around the world claiming
and depicting circuit diagrams.  A specific circuit is usually 
described and depicted in the specification to satisfy the best mode
requirement, and a family of circuits is claimed in the claims (i.e.
you don't claim the circuit by listing in the claims the actual components
of the circuit, by rather describe the circuit hierarchically, kind of
like how you would describe the circuit in a circuit description language
such as Verilog).

With such a patent, you can prevent anyone from using a specific circuit,
and any equivalents covered by the claims, or covered by the doctrine of
equivalents.

Greg