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Helps that he's been directly hit by them: both Carmack and Creative Labs developed a similar shadow algorithm around the same time (depth fail[0] or "Carmack's
by ConstantineXVI 14y ago
Helps that he's been directly hit by them: both Carmack and Creative Labs developed a similar shadow algorithm around the same time (depth fail[0] or "Carmack's Reverse"), but Creative got a patent and id had to license their tech because of it (and the Reverse had to be stripped out of the iT4 source release).
[0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmack%27s_Reverse#Depth_fail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmack%27s_Reverse#Depth_fail
- luriel 14y agoThe story neatly illustrates how the patent system doesn't really benefit inventors and instead benefits well established corporations. And Carmack was against patents before that even, and what is more, even after that he refused to patent any of his work, not even for "defensive" purposes, just out of principle.