[vtkusers] Re: vtkpatented in vtk 5.0

[Goodwin Lawlor]

Mike Jackson wrote:
> Well, not ALL the functionality. The vtkDecimate was Patented and is NOT 
> the same thing as vtkDecimatePro. So for some of us, we still need the 
> functionality of the Patented Libs.
> 
> Mike Jackson
> 

True... vtkDecimate was stuck up in the attic:
http://public.kitware.com/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/Patented/Attic/vtkDecimate.cxx?rev=1.82&view=log

Its patented till 2016 by GE. The source code incorrectly references the 
patent. The correct one is:

United States Patent  5,590,248
Zarge ,   et al.  December 31, 1996
Method for reducing the complexity of a polygonal mesh

http://tinyurl.com/rd4jn

The other class that missed out was vtkSweptSurface.
http://public.kitware.com/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/Patented/Attic/vtkSweptSurface.cxx?rev=1.84&view=log

This one is patented by GE till 2014

http://tinyurl.com/zclob

Goodwin