Yamaha 19TET patent

David Finnamore wrote:

>Didn't it say only that they had patented a _keyboard design_ for use with
>19-tET, not the temperament itself?

Yes, the original post mentioned only the keyboard embodiment, but
the patent includes pictures of guitar, brass and wind embodiments, also.
I have not seen the whole patent, only the claims and the drawings, and
perhaps I am being a little paranoid. I have written to Yamaha asking
them to clarify their position regarding manufacture of 19TET instruments
by entities other than themselves.
There is plenty of prior art out there to invalidate all but the
most creative claims for new musical instruments, but when large
corporations get legal means to profit from a popular idea, they usually
are very aggressive in their approach. Am I paranoid then? No, I guess I
was just a little tightly wound. Woaa! What was that????..........Aggghhh!

John Starrett
http://www-math.cudenver.edu/~jstarret