From cube-lovers-errors@mc.lcs.mit.edu Thu Feb 19 16:53:14 1998 Return-Path: Received: from sun28.aic.nrl.navy.mil by mc.lcs.mit.edu (8.8.1/mc) with SMTP id QAA16296; Thu, 19 Feb 1998 16:53:14 -0500 (EST) Precedence: bulk Errors-To: cube-lovers-errors@mc.lcs.mit.edu Mail-from: From cube-lovers-request@life.ai.mit.edu Wed Feb 18 21:36:39 1998 Date: Thu, 19 Feb 1998 02:03:04 +0000 From: David Singmaster To: skouknudsen@email.dk Cc: cube-lovers@ai.mit.edu Message-Id: <009C2062.FA899020.3@ice.sbu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Game designers [was Re: Rubik lawyers...] In my Cubic Circular 1 (Autumn 1981), I recorded that Wim Osterholt, of the Netherlands, had made and patented a 4^3 which he showed me. I don't remember it and I'm not sure when he brought it to London - perhaps Summer 1981? I also recorded that Rainier Seitz (product manager of Arxon which was Ideal's German agent) showed me some German patents and applications for the 4^3 and 5^3. In Cubic Circular 2 (Spring 1982), I record talking with another person who had devised a 4^3 mechanism. In Cubic Circular 3/4 (Spring/Summer 1982), I describe playing with examples. However, I don't recall ever knowing who devised the mechanism that was produced for Ideal. It was common knowledge that it was not Rubik's mechanism. One may be able to get details from the web site that Oddz On (sp??) has set up. Tom Kremer (of Seven Towns, who is Rubik's agent) is supervising this site and he would be one of the most likely people to know. I have a huge file of material comprising all US puzzle patents and I'll look there, but I think I would have known about the patent for the 4^3 already. DAVID SINGMASTER, Professor of Mathematics and Metagrobologist School of Computing, Information Systems and Mathematics Southbank University, London, SE1 0AA, UK. Tel: 0171-815 7411; fax: 0171-815 7499; email: zingmast or David.Singmaster @sbu.ac.uk