Re: copyright of a bidding system - FORUM D
- From: "Bob Richardson" <bobr at whidbey dot com>
- Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 08:56:51 -0700
"David Stevenson" <bridge2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:U4JKcfO1eXJDFwP+@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Bob Richardson wrote
>
>>This is not a hypothetical situation. The German Bridge Federation (DBV)
>>has
>>claimed that they own the copyright to "FORUM D" which is perhaps the most
>>widely used bidding system in Germany. They demanded that I remove any
>>reference to "Forum D" from BridgeMate, the computer program I've been
>>selling for several years. I removed all such references rather than risk
>>a
>>legal problem.
>>
>>On an issue like this the laws may vary from country to country.
>>
>>Anyone attempting to copyright a bidding system or convention had better
>>be
>>prepared to fight legal battles all over the world.
>
> In England the Football Association used to run the major leagues in
> England, most importantly Divisions One, Two, Three and Four of the
> Football League. One of the things they did was to produce lists of
> fixtures.
>
> One of the main problems of fixture lists is that some cities, notable
> Liverpool and Manchester, had two teams that should not play at home on
> the same day. When they do play each other you have a derby match.
>
> So they worked out a system by which you divide the lists into two. The
> A list would all play at home one week, and the B list all away. Every so
> often they would play a derby match - and when they did, everyone would
> play a derby match. So in those days Liverpool v Everton was played on
> the same day as Manchester United v Manchester City, and [of course] Stoke
> v Port Vale.
>
> There's a bit more to it, but anyway, it worked, so they attempted to
> patent the movement of teams within the list, and the linking of the list.
> Fortunately someone managed to persuade the patent authorities that this
> was not a new idea and they were not allowed to patent it.
>
> Ever played a two-session one-section pairs? Quite common in England.
> In the first session you play a Mitchell movement. In the second session
> the N/S players now play a Howell, as do the E/W players. So you get a
> Mitchell followed by a Double Howell - and that's the movement that the
> Football Association was trying to patent. In fact they tried to patent
> the whole idea of a Howell movement and the whole idea of a Mitchell
> movement!
If you're familiar with Forum D (Französische Original Reiz- und Unterrichts
Methode in Deutschland) there isn't very much original with the system -
16-18 NT, 5 card Majors, and strong 2C opening, with the other two bids
being strong, like Acol two bids. It uses Stayman and Jacoby transfers over
1NT. Most interesting to me, the negative double seems to be used only after
1m-(1S) to show hearts.
.
- References:
- copyright of a bidding system
- From: Thomas Bushnell, BSG
- Re: copyright of a bidding system
- From: Michael Angelo Ravera
- Re: copyright of a bidding system - FORUM D
- From: Bob Richardson
- Re: copyright of a bidding system - FORUM D
- From: David Stevenson
- copyright of a bidding system
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