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Patent Issue Delays Doom 3 Source Code Release

Posted by Unknown on from the patents-hate-fun dept.

An anonymous reader writes "id Software is still planning to release the Doom 3 source this year, but it's been delayed by a patent issue that's causing John Carmack to personally rewrite some of the code. The patent issue in Doom 3 concerns the Carmack's Reverse algorithm and has led Carmack to rewrite it in the open-source Doom 3."

3 of 283 comments (clear)

  1. Props to Mr. Carmack by Xeleema · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I realize there may be a financial incentive for rewriting what is no doubt a fair chunk of one of the key "selling points" of the DOOM 3 engine, however I'm glad to see that this is being done so the source can be released *publically*. Even if not much comes from it, I personally enjoy going over the code released from id Software...it's like going and in time and watching Da Vinci with a hammer and chisel.

    (Yes, yes "Carmack's no Da Vinci", but he is as close to one as most Programmer's can get.)

    --
    "When I am king, you will be first against the wall..."
  2. Saw this coming.. by mewsenews · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I sent John Carmack an email about this back in April 2009:

    Hi John,

    I believe you've said publicly that you are planning a GPL release of the Doom 3 source code, but I remember around the time the game was launched you had Creative holding a patent on the shadows algorithm, and you assuaged them by including support for EAX. Is that still causing problems?

    -Dave

    When we release the code (no date set), anyone that uses it would potentially be infringing. There are workarounds at a modest performance cost.

    John Carmack

    It sounds like id's lawyers are asking him to implement one of the workarounds he mentioned before he makes the public release.

  3. Re:Human civilization fail by GReaToaK_2000 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In addition if anyone remembers, there were plenty of issues between id, Creative and (wait for it) Gravis. Yes, for anyone old enough to remember those days, the UltraSound card by Gravis was the first wave table sound card and VASTLY superior to anything (non)Creative Labs ever put out.

    id's support of the UltraSound card was a bone of contention for Creative and I can easily see that Creative would have a hair across their collective ass(ets) including something they (creative) might want to litigate for.