[time-nuts] WWVB BPSK patent status

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

Without having seen the specific patent, what
worries me is that there is a trend these days
to write blanket patents that say you can't
build any black box that, for example, receives
this format, no matter how it works.
They don't have to prove what is
in your FPGA code.  They then can shut down any
competition with such a weak patent unless the
competition has deep pockets for a lawyer.  If
they can prove you willfully infringed (whatever
that means), they get triple damages.  If you
do any kind of patent search, do not keep any
records or tell anyone about it.

Possibly you could make the FPGA code available
on the internet and have the end user be the
infringer.  Not being a lawyer, I'm not sure
if this would get you off the hook.  Maybe
they can hang their hat on the digital copyright
law (DCMA?) , in which case you become a criminal too.

Rick Karlquist N6RK

On 8/8/2014 3:24 PM, Brooke Clarke wrote:
> Hi Mike:
>
> Do you have any patent numbers.
>
> Have Fun,
>
> Brooke Clarke
> http://www.PRC68.com
> http://www.end2partygovernment.com/2012Issues.html
> http://www.prc68.com/I/DietNutrition.html
>
> Mike Harpe wrote:
>> >From my reading of the archives and research it appears that the
>> design for
>> a BPSK WWVB receiver probably has a patent conflict.
>>
>> Isn't this a rehash of the old Heathkit patent on radio clocks that held
>> back their adoption for years?
>>
>> I have begun work on a BPSK receiver for WWVB using an FPGA.
>>
>> Someone should look into why the NIST did this at all since the receiver
>> design got a patent slapped on it right away.
>>
>> Mike Harpe, N4PLE
>> Sellersburg, IN
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