29 Jun
2001
29 Jun
'01
1:15 p.m.
At 02:04 AM 6/30/01 +0100, Iggy wrote:
So, what makes MSCP so particular that it may be
patented?
And how come people can write emulators and clones all over the place? Haven't
Intel or Motorola patents on their processors?
Who knows? Only the patent office I suppose. It was a mass storage protocol
that DEC invented and some patent examiner said "Yup, this is good stuff."
The Microprocessor was also patented but that patent has expired. Most of
the emulators/clones on DEC gear do _not_ include MSCP support. Getting it
is a challenge. Intel and Motorola have copyrights on their Microcode and
patents and various aspects of their processors but as a whole they aren't.
I believe all of Intel's chipsets are patented in one form or another which
prevents non-licensees from building them.
--Chuck