Jared Duda claims that Google is wrongfully trying to patent his asymmetric numerical systems (ANS) compression technique.
Duda had wanted his technique to be available for anyone to use and had dedicated it to the public domain. Since his breakthrough in 2014, Facebook, Apple, and Google have all created software based on his technique. Google claims that its lawyers are trying to patent a specific application of Duda’s theory which required additional work by Google engineers.
Having already reached a preliminary ruling on the topic, the European patent office stated that “the subject matter of claim 1 does not involve an inventive step.” Information provided by Duda in an email to Google engineers “would allow a skilled person to reach the invention without having to apply any inventive skills.”
Duda would like Google to simply stop pursuing the patent. At a minimum, he wants the company to recognize him as the original inventor and to legally guarantee that the patent will be available for anyone to use.
Additional Resources
Patent: Mixed Boolean-token ANS Coefficient Coding
Inventor says Google is patenting work he put in the public domain, Ars Technica, June 10, 2018
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