From: | "Hannu Krosing" <hannu(at)itmeedia(dot)ee> |
---|---|
To: | <robert(at)schrem(dot)de>, "Hannu Krosing" <hannu(at)krosing(dot)net> |
Cc: | "PostgreSQL Hackers List" <pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org> |
Subject: | Re: UB-Tree |
Date: | 2002-03-11 11:52:27 |
Message-ID: | 001101c1c8f3$379c8fe0$1600000a@tm.ee |
Views: | Raw Message | Whole Thread | Download mbox | Resend email |
Thread: | |
Lists: | pgsql-hackers |
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Schrem" <robert(at)schrem(dot)de>
To: "Hannu Krosing" <hannu(at)krosing(dot)net>
Cc: "PostgreSQL Hackers List" <pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 11:55 AM
Subject: Fwd: Re: [HACKERS] UB-Tree
> On Friday 08 March 2002 20:37, Hannu Krosing wrote:
> > They may also have patents on it, so we should move carefully here.
>
> I sent a mail asking R. Bayer about any known patent issues.
> He said that the UB-Tree is internationally patented.
> Sad, because it looked like a briliant idea. Now it looks like
> it will be banned from the open source community for some
> decades to come... :-(
IANAL, but there seem to be some issues :
1. There is no such thing as 'internationally patented' as most countries
still don't allow patenting software algorithms.
2. I doubt it is possible to patent a general idea, like replacing multiple
one-dimensional indexes with one multi-dimensional index (conceptually
they _are_ the same thing, just optimised for different access paterns)
So as we can't use UB-Tree, we may well achieve similar result buy
using a multi-dimensional/multi-type R-tree and teach our optimiser
to use it for resolving multiple where clause restrictions simultaneously.
Of course this too may be patented. If it is not, let's hope this e-mail
will be archived and can be used as prior art to prevent future patenting
attempts :)
Another common way of fighting such patent's is patenting all possible
future improvements and then haggle with the patent holder .
I think this could be something that is effectively doable by open-source
community, at least the part of generating the ideas.
-------------
Hannu
From | Date | Subject | |
---|---|---|---|
Next Message | Thomas Lockhart | 2002-03-11 13:51:06 | Re: Rationalizing EXPLAIN VERBOSE output |
Previous Message | Paul | 2002-03-11 11:47:58 | Transaction on start of session ? |