IC designer's widow upset Behringer is copying 35 year old chips

In other news, looks like there's going to be a series of "obsolete" VCOs/VCFs etc. on the market for purchase, audiophiles and bedroom musos are like crack addicts for that stuff, so time to get crackin' on new designs for anyone into that...

But the widow didn't design this stuff - isn't she ripping off the dead guy too?

Exactly; I don't see why other companies should "respect the legacy" of a deceased designer and not produce copies of a certain IC that's long out of patent protection, even if it may have been used it some sexy vintage products.

They're IC mask designs, not exactly Warhol paintings.

You can definitely ride that train to anywhere, like you shouldn't produce clones of the Model T because it's not "respectful" to Henry Ford's great great grandchildren. I say if you can make a clone of a Model T and sell it at a profit in 2k17 have at it.

Sounds mostly like sour grapes.

I think "Synthtopia" is the kind of place where "vintage aficionados" hang out and are likely also just pissed that their collection of Minimoogs or whatever from 1974 won't appreciate in value without bound.

I suppose you don't believe in property rights.

Yes, I most certainly do. No property rights left here, except perhaps a Trademark or two.

That depends on what was copied. There isn't enough information here to tell.

It seems they copied the mask design verbatim, paid whatever the startup fee is to do a run of an old 8 micron process design in China, and contracted to buy minimum 100k of them or whatever.

I don't think they'll be using the "CEM" name explicitly, of course.

circuit design - no longer protected. semiconductor mask set - no longer protected.

what is left?

Courtesy recognition, if anything such thing as courtesy still exists.

I remember Doug Curtis, I did some chip designs for OnChip... what is scary I always thought of those guys as "young", and here am I insisting on outliving them :-( ...Jim Thompson

LOL. Are you kidding me? The whole concept of patent protection it to teach the world so they can go and do the same thing, after the period of protection has ended.

I know that! But wouldn't it be nice if the new manufacturer, typically clueless of how "their" product works, at least included an original datasheet with attribution to OnChip?

I have a large number of circuits out there, just like that, no attribution, no courtesy :-(

But I do derive comfort in that my 50-year-old designs still sell :-)

Most of my IP is hidden, well-documented, well-witnessed, but unpublished. I snag a few assholes periodically >:-} ...Jim Thompson

The original datasheet would still have copyright protection in force, no?

And "attribution" might lead to a trademark problem.

Given the noise the widow is making, I understand why the cloning company is cautious.

She is probably getting low on money.

Personally I'd be perfectly happy to attribute a re-manufacture of some antiquated long-expired patent design, no problem, and include and say whatever they liked. "The blah blah blah 9000 by Jim Thompson, coolest chip ever made."

Just so long as they don't want to charge me a f*ck-off ton of money for the "privilege."

Yeah it pretty much sounds like she's pissed that Big B didn't come to her and kiss her ass and offer her a big check for the privilege of putting her dead husband's name on the design.

Not realizing that several other companies over the years tried that and ended up basically nowhere in the market for their efforts.

Exactly my thought. It's certainly not clear who owns the copyright, though.

Why?

Slowman, shortrex, troll Kevin, ricky...