Just spotted this bit of Info posted over at Beyond3D's Forum by Reverend!
Creative apparently has a patent on a shadowing technique that appears to have some similiarity with id Software's soon-to-be-available DOOM3's shadowing technique. Now, without attempting to raise any controversy on this matter, this reporter thinks that software patents in general are a Bad Thing. It is a little suspicious that Creative posted about their technique on their company's developer forum first. To have later filed a patent and then challenge id Software is in this reporter's opinion inexcusable. This is tantamount to blackmailing game developers -- inventing a technique, talking about it before filing a patent that hasn't been published and then telling a game developer that there is some infringement is just unethical behaviour.
This reporter emailed id Software's John Carmack, touching a little on his "reverse shadowing" technique (info here and here) and the state of patenting in general before asking him for some comments on this Creative "agreement" with id Software. Here's what he had to say :
Creative claims similar shadowing tech as id Software's Doom3
Creative apparently has a patent on a shadowing technique that appears to have some similiarity with id Software's soon-to-be-available DOOM3's shadowing technique. Now, without attempting to raise any controversy on this matter, this reporter thinks that software patents in general are a Bad Thing. It is a little suspicious that Creative posted about their technique on their company's developer forum first. To have later filed a patent and then challenge id Software is in this reporter's opinion inexcusable. This is tantamount to blackmailing game developers -- inventing a technique, talking about it before filing a patent that hasn't been published and then telling a game developer that there is some infringement is just unethical behaviour.
This reporter emailed id Software's John Carmack, touching a little on his "reverse shadowing" technique (info here and here) and the state of patenting in general before asking him for some comments on this Creative "agreement" with id Software. Here's what he had to say :
Creative claims similar shadowing tech as id Software's Doom3
