Re: [matplotlib-devel] Matlab parula colormap

[Eric F. <ef...@ha...>]

On 2014/10/28, 10:30 PM, Pierre Haessig wrote:
> Le 21/10/2014 10:09, Eric Firing a écrit :
>> That's the big question: what is the IP status?
> So Nathaniel and I asked, and the blog post author, Steve Eddins, took
> the time to answer :
>
>     Nathaniel and Pierre—Thanks for your interest in the new parula
>     colormap. /Parula is the end result of a creative design effort over
>     an extended period of time. I am pleased that you find it so
>     appealing. The colormap is, however, MathWorks intellectual
>     property, and it would not be appropriate or acceptable to copy or
>     re-use it in non-MathWorks plotting tools./
>
>     You might look at other sources of high-quality colormaps. I have
>     listed some in my technical paper on rainbow colormaps, published
>     earlier this month on mathworks.com.
>
>
> http://blogs.mathworks.com/steve/2014/10/20/a-new-colormap-for-matlab-part-2-troubles-with-rainbows/#comment-27702
>
> So they claim the IP. Next question is: is this claim valid, and I'm not
> a lawyer to answer it. I suspect that the answer could be country specific.

Regardless, we should respect their claim.  I agree with the basic idea: 
it was the result of a creative process, and they choose to keep that as 
proprietary IP. Therefore mpl will not include a clone of this color 
map.  If a user decides to make and use a clone, that's their business, 
not ours.  We shouldn't encourage it.

>
> The only things that bother me in this IP claim, is the status of all
> the plots produced with this colormap. They are in a sense a
> /derivative/ work, am I right ? So the question becomes : does Mathworks
> owns IP right for all these plots ?!

Perhaps they could claim copyright infringement; but from the mpl 
perspective, I don't think it matters.  The question will only arise in 
practice if a user makes a plot with a clone of parula, and Mathworks 
chooses to turn it into a legal issue.  I think it is unlikely this will 
happen; but if and when it does, I don't think mpl will be involved.  We 
will not be supplying the colormap or in any way encouraging or 
condoning its use in mpl, unless and until Mathworks releases it.

Eric

>
> Pierre
>
>
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