TUNING digest 1527:Patents

Gary Morrison indicated that a patent can be granted if it

''4. Is not an already known idea.''

In the case of 19-tone temperament, it is clear that Yasser published an
adequate description of the tuning an described a possible keyboard for t=
he
tuning. His book, _A Theory of Evolving Tonality_ is widely available in
libraries, functions here clearly as a 'defensive publication', and enoug=
h
practical work has been done following his model (Schaefer, Wilson, Darre=
g
et al) to indicate that the idea is not only 'known' by has been put to
use. =


A broad patent by Yamaha is clearly unacceptable and I propose that
subscribers to this list write to the U.S. Patent Office and say just tha=
t.

Daniel Wolf =