Subject:
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Re: legOS
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Mon, 30 Nov 1998 21:30:32 GMT
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Original-From:
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George McBay <GMCBAY@DCnospam.USWEB.COM>
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Viewed:
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2294 times
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The included end-user licence agreements that came with Mindstorms had dire
warnings about the illegality of reverse engineering the product
in any way. These types of 'agreements', to my knowledge, aren't ever
really challenged by the companies who issue them. They usually serve
merely for the company to prove they are making every attempt to protect
their intellectual property. One other thing that did catch my eye though,
was the claim of a patent pending on the IR communication system the RCX
uses....
-----Original Message-----
From: Lageson, Tom <tml@TENNANTCO.com>
To: 'lego-robotics@crynwr.com' <lego-robotics@crynwr.com>
Date: Monday, November 30, 1998 4:22 PM
Subject: RE: legOS
> Pardon me for butting in on this thread, but hasn't Markus written a new
> operating system that doesn't use the Lego firmware? Isn't he operating
> against the chip? As long as Markus didn't copy the firmware, his • operating
> system should be able to have the same functionality as Lego's firmware,
> right? Isn't this how one chip base (intel) can have multiple operating
> systems (OS/2, Linux, DRDos, etc) running on the same chip that provide the
> same essential functionality?
>
> The way I see it (and I am no lawyer), Lego sold me a H8/3297 chip wrapped
> in a hunk of plastic compatible with Lego blocks. They also sold me an
> operating system (the firmware) and a development environment (the cute
> building block software). If I decide that I want to install another
> operating system on that chip (legOS) and use a different development
> environment (NQCC), how could they stop me? It may invalidate my support
> from Lego if I have problems when the alternative operating system is used,
> but isn't that a risk that the consumer can take?
>
> I have a lot of ponderous questions, but if someone can answer them, I • would
> be grateful.
>
> Also, I want to say that I am very thankful for all of the work that Kekoa,
> Markus, and others have done to figure out the RCX and its inputs. It
> continues to astound me at the level of technical genius that resides in
> this list.
>
> Tom Lageson
> tml@tennantco.com
>
>
> > ----------
> > From: Paul Speed[SMTP:pspeed@augustschell.com]
> > Sent: Monday, November 30, 1998 2:43 PM
> > To: 'lego-robotics@crynwr.com'
> > Subject: Re: legOS
> >
> > Errrr.... Where does computer stop and _software_ start.
> > Where is my brain today?
> > -Paul
> >
> >
> > Paul Speed wrote:
> > >
> > > I guess more specifically, where does computer stop and
> > > hardware start? According to the law, that is.
> > > -Paul
> > >
> > > Eric Hodges wrote:
> > > >
> > > > As I understand it, microcode is protected as software. It doesn't • matter
> > > > how you store it or distribute it, but the way it is used. If it • consists
> > > > of instructions for a computer, then it is considered to be a • computer
> > > > program and is subject to copyright law.
> > > >
> > > > Why would it be any other way? Why would microcode or firmware be • exempt
> > > > from copyright protection? How could anyone safely invest in the
> > > > development of either of those if they were?
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Paul Speed [SMTP:pspeed@augustschell.com]
> > > > Sent: Monday, November 30, 1998 12:06 PM
> > > > To: 'lego-robotics@crynwr.com'
> > > > Subject: Re: legOS
> > > >
> > > > Just curious, and since you seem to have some information
> > > > handy, where is the line between firmware and microcode drawn? Or
> > > > is microcode also considered firmware?
> > > >
> > > > -Paul
> > > >
> > > > Eric Hodges wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > It's the law. Software isn't defined by the media it's stored in • or
> > the
> > > > > way it is stored. It doesn't make any legal difference if you • distribute
> > > > > the software on a CD or printed on the back of a T-shirt. The • copyright
> > > > > laws consider software to be any "set of statements or instructions • to be
> > > > > used directly or indirectly in a computer in order to bring about a • certain
> > > > > result."( 17 U.S.C ? 101) Software distributed on ROM, EPROM, • EEPROM,
> > > > etc.
> > > > > is still covered by the copyright laws.
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: Kekoa Proudfoot [SMTP:lugnet.robotics@lugnet.com]
> > > > > Sent: Monday, November 30, 1998 11:26 AM
> > > > > To: lego-robotics@crynwr.com
> > > > > Subject: Re: legOS
> > > > >
> > > > > Eric Hodges <lego-robotics@crynwr.com> wrote:
> > > > > > Firmware is software. It doesn't matter if you burn software into • ROM,
> > > > > > store it on EPROM, store it as PAL settings, core memory values, • etc.
> > > > > > Software is software, and firmware is software.
> > > > >
> > > > > Is this your opinion? Or do you have something to back this with?
> > > > >
> > > > > -Kekoa
> >
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