[網路謠言] Dolby AC3 專利快到期了?

根據網路謠言的說法, Dolby AC3 的專利快到期了, 明年大家可以隨便用…

由於美國專利的年限規定, 大約是 17~20 年, 詳情請看 http://www.patent-tutorial.net/node/1114. 所以今年到期的美國專利, 應該是 1992 年獲准, 或是 1989 年申請的. 那麼, 謠言來源應該是針對這兩個專利吧!

“Low bit rate transform code, decoder, and encoder/decoder for high quality audio", USA Patent 5,109,417 and 5,142,656.

不過以網路上的合約範本 (Dolby Digital v.s. Sony) – http://contracts.onecle.com/sonic-foundry/dolby-license-1997-07-28.shtml (網路上真是甚麼都有), 他們簽約的時候, Dolby 授予對方的權利包含下面這些專利, 難道每一隻都過期了嗎?

好像沒有! 剛好只到 5,142,656 會在今年過期. 其中 5,235,671 竟然是 GTE 的專利, 而不是 Dolby 的.

回過頭來看, 爆料者似乎爆過頭了. 萬一大家都亂用 AC3 的專利, 然後被 Dolby 告得半死. 那麼散布此謠言的人, 也沒有好處啊?

其中, Dolby 也有申請台灣的專利. 在歐洲也有好多個同號碼的專利, 假如專利號碼不像電話號碼的可以選號的話, 應該只是互相承認的專利, 然後再不同國家之下都掛一次, 充充場面的吧!

PATENTS
                                    ——-
                   
          Country                              Patent Number
          ——-                              ————-
                                            
          Australia                                631,404      
          Australia                                644,170      
          Australia                                649,786      
          Australia                                653,582      
          Australia                                655,053      
          Australia                                655,535      
          Austria                                  0 524 264      
          Belgium                                0 208 712      
          Belgium                                0 481 374      
          Belgium                                0 524 264      
          Canada                                 1,239,701      
          Canada                                 1,301,337      
          Canada                                 2,026,213      
          Denmark                               0 208 712      
          Denmark                               0 481 374      
          Denmark                               0 524 264      
          France                                   0 208 712      
          France                                   0 455 738      
          France                                   0 481 374      
          France                                   0 524 264      
          Germany                                690 060 11.4    
          Germany                                691 078 41.6    
          Greece                                   0 524 264      
          Italy                                       0 208 712      
          Italy                                       0 524 264      
          Netherlands                            0 455 738      
          Netherlands                            0 524 264      
          Spain                                     0 524 264      
          Sweden                                  0 524 264      
          Switzerland                             0 524 264      
          Taiwan                                    52,047      
          Taiwan                                    53,726      
          Taiwan                                    56,006      
          Taiwan                                    60,430      
          United Kingdom                         0 208 712      
          United Kingdom                         0 455 738      
          United Kingdom                         0 524 264      
          United States of America               4,790,016      
          United States of America               4,914,701      
          United States of America               5,109,417      
          United States of America               5,235,671      
          United States of America               5,274,740      
          United States of America               5,291,557      
          United States of America               5,297,236      
          United States of America               5,357,594      
          United States of America               5,394,473      
          United States of America               5,463,424      
          United States of America               5,479,562