Freetype and adobe patents question

[Jeff Moyes]

  All,

>>  go gadget google!
>>  
>>  http://www.freetype.org/patents.html

>  So it looks like the problem patents were from Apple, not Adobe, so
>  unless they have expired also, then no we cannot use the full byte-code
>  interpreter hinting mechanism in freetype legally.


My bad - it was Apple -  not Adobe. (Mental error when typing the 
email). The patents mentioned in the link Stuart provided are the very 
ones in question. I did google them the other day and found the page 
that Stuart mentions, and several others like it - but all written 
several years ago mentioning that the patents are in force.  Patents 
have a terms of 17 years I think - so the 3 key Apple patents (issued in 
1989 and 1992) should have all expired by 2009 - ___I think___.

Since I couldn't find any definitive answer online I figured the greater 
minds of the PLUG Collective might shed light on it. Does anybody know 
about patents? After 17 years are they gone - like completely gone? No 
chances that Apple might have got an "extension" or anything?

Thanks

Jeff Moyes