mdj wrote:
(Would a patent issued in 1988 have run out already? For the longest time, patents were good for 17 years, but at some point, they switched to 20 years. Even if the issued patent was for 20 years, it might already have run out if the periodic maintenance fees weren't paid. There's no indication on the USPTO website of whether the ZipChip patent is still valid.)Not that it matters really, since if someone builds new zipchips based on documents and schematics, they will be infringing on copyright.
Not true. Any material disclosed in an expired patent is public domain. -michael Music synthesis for 8-bit Apple II's! Home page: http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/ "The wastebasket is our most important design tool--and it is seriously underused."