On Jan 18, 2008 10:22 AM, Miriam Ruiz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Tom "spot" Callaway, from Red Hat, announced [1] that Fedora won't be > including any game of the kind of Frets on Fire, Stepmania, pydance, > digiband, or anything of the kind of DDR or Guitar Hero, due to patent > concerns [2]. > > """ > Due to patent concerns, we won't be able to include any games in Fedora > which meet the following criteria: > > A game where "targets" move across the screen to a predetermined point > or line, where the player hits a button/key/mouse click as the target(s) > crosses that point or line, and gets points.
>From the Fedora mailing list thread, it looks like this is referring to US patent 6347998 (see http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6347998.html), held by Konami. The main claim reads as follows (see http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6347998-fulltext.html for all claims): -------------------------------------------------------------- 1. A game system comprising: an input apparatus which is manipulated by a player; performance data memory device which stores performance data stipulating a series of manipulations of said input apparatus arranged in correspondence with a predetermined musical piece; manipulation guide device which specifies the series of manipulations of said input apparatus arranged in correspondence with said musical piece to the player based on said performance data; said performance data comprising information which specifies timings of manipulations relating to at least one timing manipulation member provided on said input apparatus, and information which specifies at least one selection manipulation member to be manipulated in correspondence with the manipulation of said timing manipulation member from a plurality of selection manipulation members provided on said input apparatus; ------------------------------------------------------------- The crucial point in all that gobbledigook is the reference to a "musical piece". Ditto the other claims in the patent. So even if this patent is valid, it isn't as broad as simply "clicking a button when a target crosses the line". Though I agree that software patents are evil and that this completely sucks, it isn't quite as bad as the Fedora discussion makes out (rough paraphrase: "They just banned Pong!" ;-) ). Plus Fedora's policy on these issues is driven by Red Hat, which (as a listed corporation) has to take a very conservative line on patent infringement. I haven't been able to find out whether there are any equivalent patents outside the US, so it may be this is a US-only (or perhaps Japan also) patent. What is Debian's policy as regards software that is encumbered by patents in one jurisdiction but not others? John (TINLA) -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
