http://en.swpat.org/wiki/Patently_Absurd/Subtitles

Changing the licence might not be possible (whether it’s really desirable is another question). The contributors consented to be in this film. They didn’t consent to being in “this film plus any film based on this film”.

About subtitles, as other people mentioned, please consider changing the license to CC BY-SA (to ALLOW DERIVATIVE WORKS) or consider adding an exception to embed subtitles.

Frankly to say, using “.srt” file with supported video player is very difficult for many people. This licence restriction prevents us to popularize this movie. Embedded subtitles is really important.

Good work!

The Encoding of the HD version is still quite bad. Overquotes sometimes appear and disappear immediately, leaving the rest of the video just “hanging” for a few seconds before it continues:

In the HD version: Timebase errors on VLC Mac OS X at: 57s and jumps to 1:01s. There are similar issues elsewhere in the film.

Please fix. I would like to show others the HD version. For the time being, I’ll stick with “High Quality.”

1. A display refresh method comprising the steps of:

encoding data representing figures to be displayed as data characters;
encoding data representing enhancement features and execution path instructions as control characters;
combining the data and control characters to form linked list data blocks; and
interpreting the linked list data blocks to form displayable lines.

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=0OkAAAAAEBAJ&dq=%22linked+list%22&as_drrb_ap=q&as_minm_ap=0&as_miny_ap=&as_maxm_ap=0&as_maxy_ap=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1700&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1980&num=30

1. The machine method of generating a sequence of signals which represent Fourier series coefficients of an input sequence of N real-valued signals comprising the steps of:

1. storing said input sequence of signals in a machine memory,

2. generating an ordered set of complex-valued signals,

3. selectively combining in a machine and according to a constant relation said stored signals and said complex-valued signals, thereby to form a new sequence of complex-valued signals none of which bears a necessary conjugate relation to another,

4. storing said new sequence of signals in said machine memory in place of said sequence of signals previously stored in said machine memory, and

5. iteratively performing steps (3) and (4) with the sequence generated by the immediately preceding iteration and said ordered set of signals entering as operands.

That issued in ‘71 from an application filed in ‘68.

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=hg9uAAAAEBAJ&dq=method+of+fast+Fourier+transform&as_drrb_ap=q&as_minm_ap=0&as_miny_ap=&as_maxm_ap=0&as_maxy_ap=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=1700&as_maxm_is=1&as_maxy_is=1980

And Claim 5 from another FFT related Patent from ‘74/’ 77

5. A method of computing the discrete Fourier transform of a waveform comprising the steps of:

receiving a series of digital data representative of said waveform;
storing sequentially said series of digital data representative of said waveform;
subtracting the oldest stored data from the newest stored data to obtain a difference each time a data is received;
generating a series of predetermined constants;
providing an output shift storage means;
adding sequentially each of the data stored in said output shift storage means to said difference to produce a series of addition signals;
multiplying each addition signal by a predetermined constant from said series of predetermined constants to obtain a series of products;
sequentially storing said series of products in said output shift storage means;
whereby said output shift storage means contains a series of Fourier coefficients.

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=2ao6AAAAEBAJ&dq=method+of+fast+Fourier+transform&as_drrb_ap=q&as_minm_ap=0&as_miny_ap=&as_maxm_ap=0&as_maxy_ap=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=1700&as_maxm_is=1&as_maxy_is=1980

I wasted 2 minutes on your behalf and searched for patents prior to 1980 related to sorting data. Here’s clam 34 from the first I looked at:

34. A computer method for sorting a plurality of record units each having a keyfield, in accordance with the code value of said keyfields, wherein each of said keyfields includes a plurality of keyfield bits arranged in a predetermined keyfield bit order, comprising, in combination, the steps of:

generating a plurality of record unit address signals each accessing a corresponding one of said record units, to form a first address sequence;

processing said first address sequence signals to form a first and second address sub-sequence comprising, respectively, all addresses accessing record units whose first keyfield bit in said predetermined keyfield bit order is “0″ and “1″;

combining said first and second address sub-sequences into a second address sequence wherein the members of said first address subsequence precede the members of said second address subsequence;

repeating said steps of processing and combining under control of all remaining keyfield bits to provide a final record unit address sequence; and

selectively transferring said record units from a first to a second storage in a single pass in an access sequence controlled by said final address sequence, whereby said record units are stored in said second storage in an ordered sequence according to their relative keyfield values.

Here’s a link to the whole patent:

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=EIc2AAAAEBAJ&dq=method+of+sorting+data&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=1700&as_maxm_is=1&as_maxy_is=1980

It issued in 1973, from an application that was filed in ‘71.

I hope Professor Knuth doesn’t have to return his Turing Award.

I understand your point of view. If I haven’t responded to earlier arguments that software is special, its because I find the position to be too silly to respond to. You are making a distinction without a difference. The computer mouse and the airplane were there to be found just as any algorithm is….Just as David was in the marble before Mikey chipped away the bits that weren’t David.

Besides the patent laws allow for the patenting of discoveries…:

35 USC 101:

Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.