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RE: Borland software patent restricting GNU compiler development
- From: "Casper Hornstrup" <ch at csh-consult dot dk>
- To: "'Steven Bosscher'" <stevenb at suse dot de>, <gcc at gcc dot gnu dot org>
- Cc: "'Paolo Bonzini'" <paolo dot bonzini at lu dot unisi dot ch>,"'Ingrid Marson'" <Ingrid dot marson at zdnet dot co dot uk>
- Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 14:35:56 +0200
- Subject: RE: Borland software patent restricting GNU compiler development
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gcc-owner@gcc.gnu.org [mailto:gcc-owner@gcc.gnu.org] On Behalf Of Steven Bosscher
> Sent: 11. maj 2005 14:20
> To: gcc@gcc.gnu.org
> Cc: Paolo Bonzini; Ingrid Marson
> Subject: Re: Borland software patent restricting GNU compiler development
>
> On Wednesday 11 May 2005 13:40, Paolo Bonzini wrote:
> > > The Borland patent is a patent for standard exception handling
> > > http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL
> > > &p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5,628,016.WKU.&OS=PN/5,628,
> > > 016&RS=PN/5,628,016
> >
> > http://snipurl.com/et1w
>
> And FWIW, patches exist outside the FSF tree to support SEH, see e.g.
> http://reactos.csh-consult.dk/index.php?page=gccseh
>
> Gr.
> Steven
I'm writing this patch because A) we need it for the open-source Windows(R) compatible OS ReactOS (http://www.reactos.com) and B)
it's not illegal for me to write and publish the patch even if the patent is not void since I live in the EU. That said, I do
believe the patent is void (not that it matter). The patent application even mentions prior art:
"Niezgoda, S., Holt, L. and Wojciech, D., NT's Structured Exception Handling, Byte, Nov. 1993, pp. 317-322."
Casper