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by ZenoArrow 3053 days ago
Patents for what? Algorithms? I've heard similar arguments/excuses made before, I'd like to understand if there's any legal precedence for them, or if it's more of a hypothetical risk.

Lastly, with the 'supply of documentation' approach, does this (to your knowledge) carry the same legal risks?
1 comments
joezydeco 3053 days ago
The API would expose what IP cores are inside the GPU.

A competitor could easily dissect the code and figure out what blocks and/or techniques are violating their patent rights.

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ZenoArrow 3053 days ago
> "The API would expose what IP cores are inside the GPU."

How would an open-source driver developed by a third party be less effective at doing so?

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joezydeco 3053 days ago
The third-party is probing into a black box. They have no idea what is or isn't there. So it could be plausible deniability on the side of the chipmaker.
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ZenoArrow 3052 days ago
How about documentation then? Let's say Allwinner releases C header files, plus high level descriptions of what each function does. Do they still maintain plausible deniability if the hardware design infringes on patents?
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