Re: Subject: [Discuss-gnuradio] APCO 25

[John Gilmore]

> My original point was that the details of the vocoder were previously
> *unavailable* unless one paid for too much money and signed restrictive
> agreements. Without them, it is hard to build a compatible transceiver.
> If indeed those specs now exist sufficiently that a vocoder can be
> written, implementation is possible by anyone who doesn't care about the
> legal details. And would be a good and useful thing.

The algorithm can't simultaneously be patented *and* a trade secret.

If it's patented, the patent, which anyone can get, would reveal the algorithm.

If it's a trade secret, it can be obtained by buying something that
implements the codec, and reverse-engineering it to see how it works.
Once that has been done, the information about how it works can be 
freely published.

In either case you end up with freely publishable information that
describes the codec.

        John