HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: peter@ferranti.com (peter da silva)
Subject: Re: Patents:  What they are.  What they aren't.  Other factors.
Organization: Xenix Support, FICC
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 16:57:04 GMT

In article <id.Y3PT.H2H@ferranti.com> I said:
> In article <5a+pn5l.mcgregor@netcom.com> mcgregor@netcom.com (Scott Mcgregor) writes:
> > Or you could adopt risk reduction strategies of other
> > industries: Use algorithms that are published (Knuth, et al) that
> > makes them part of the prior art.

> OK, do this as an excersize. Take a small program... xterm, for example,
> and generate a list of the potentially patentable algorithms in it. Even
> after the fact with that as your primary goal it's going to be tough, when
> there are patents that you can violate simply by doing an indirection in
> the wrong place.

Getting back to this, I think that in a very real sense writing software
*IS* creating an algorithm. That part of software development that involves
incorporating published algorithms and routines is a very small part of the
job.

And applications of published algorithms to new processes *can* be
patented... for example, to use a non-software case, the use of treadles
in sewing machines and spinning wheels to convert linear to rotary motion
was long known when Watt invented his steam engine, but the application of
that to the steam engine was patented. So despite prior art he had to invent
a new mechanism.

So, back to the point, using a published algorithm isn't enough to save
you, because in applying them you're effectively creating a new patentable
work! If you only had to do that a few times in a software product, fine.
If you have to do it a thousand times, you'd never get started.

This does NOT encourage innovation.
-- 
Peter da Silva                                               `-_-'
Ferranti Intl. Ctls. Corp.                                    'U` 
Sugar Land, TX  77487-5012
+1 713 274 5180                                   Har du kramat din varg idag?
Xref: sparky comp.org.eff.talk:6040 misc.int-property:1059 alt.suit.att-bsdi:381 comp.unix.bsd:6545
From: rms@miles.com (Rob Schultz)
Subject: Copyrights when a company is out of business?
Organization: Miles Inc., Diagnostics Division, Elkhart, IN
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 22:01:06 GMT


Some years ago, my company purchased a database manager upon which we built
an application for internal use.  The application is running just fine at
the original site, and we would like to use it at another of our sites.
Unfortunately, the original license only allowed us to run the database on
one computer.  The company has gone out of business.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to whether it would be legal for us to 
use the software at the additional site?

Since the company no longer exists, do we have any obligation to continue
to honor the license agreement (contract)?  If so, with whom do we now have
a contract?  (To my knowledge, the company simply folded.  They apparently 
were not bought out by someone else.)  Who holds the copyright to this 
database software?

We would like to avoid re-writing the system using another database if at 
all possible.

Thanks for any help -
     rms
-- 
Rob Schultz   At Home:                        At work:          +1 219 262 7206
                      rms@andria.miles.com                        rms@miles.com
      {uunet|iuvax}!gator!miles!andria!rms        {uunet|iuvax}!gator!miles!rms
From: gtoal@ibmpcug.co.uk (Graham Toal)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: 386 Box + Unix
Date: 28 Sep 92 07:02:52 GMT
Followup-To: comp.sys.bsd
Distribution: inet
Organization: The IBM PC User Group, UK.

In article <ir34263@pro-smof.cts.com> wixer!cactus.org!wixer!pro-smof.cts.com!shiva@cactus.org (System Smof) writes:
>Is this BSD386 "free" if you already have ftp capability and "not free" if
>you can't use ftp?

It's "free" as in unencumbered, not free as in no outlay.  Most people
pay for ftp one way or another, if only for the phone-line time.  But
you knew that, didn't you?  In fact, if you don't have ftp there are
various people who'll supply 386bsd on floppy at a minimal charge.

Followups once more redirected to comp.sys.bsd if you want to find
one of these people...

G
-- 
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk,misc.int-property,alt.suit.att-bsdi,comp.unix.bsd
From: peter@ferranti.com (peter da silva)
Subject: Re: Patents:  What they are.  What they aren't.  Other factors.
Organization: Xenix Support, FICC
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 14:38:56 GMT

In article <1992Sep30.143205.3171@rwwa.COM> witr@rwwa.com writes:
> don't currently have the patent handy) I expect the LZW patent claims
> a process which is the application of an algorithm to a specific use.

To be precise, it is a patent on a disk control system. LZW is a patent
on using this algorithm in the mainframe equivalent of a Stacker card.
The question is... does this mean that I can or cannot use this algorithm
in a modem? According to the current interpretation I can't, even though
the case law on which this interpretation is based said otherwise.
-- 
Peter da Silva                                          `-_-'
Ferranti Intl. Ctls. Corp.                               'U` 
Sugar Land, TX  77487-5012
+1 713 274 5180                           Heb jij vandaag je wolf al geaaid ?
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk,misc.int-property,alt.suit.att-bsdi,comp.unix.bsd
From: mcgregor@netcom.com (Scott Mcgregor)
Subject: Re: Patents: What they are. What they aren't. Other factors.
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 09:49:58 GMT

From mcgregor Sat Oct  3 02:42:52 PDT 1992
Article: 1115 of misc.int-property
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk,misc.int-property,alt.suit.att-bsdi,comp.unix.bsd
From: ckd@eff.org (Christopher Davis)
Subject: EFF announces gopher access to their online documents
Followup-To: comp.org.eff.talk
Organization: Electronic Frontier Foundation Tech Central
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 22:18:10 GMT

+=========+==================================================+==============+
|  F.Y.I. | Newsnote from the Electronic Frontier Foundation | Oct 6, 1992  |
+=========+==================================================+==============+

    ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION OPENS GOPHER SERVER TO THE INTERNET

The Electronic Frontier Foundation announced today that they now offer
access to their online document library via the Internet Gopher protocol,
developed at the University of Minnesota.  Gopher access joins WAIS,
electronic mail service, and anonymous ftp as an electronic means of
access to EFF documents.

Gopher clients are available for Mac, NeXT, GNU Emacs, X11, VM/CMS, VMS,
and curses interfaces.  Many of these are available for anonymous ftp from
boombox.micro.umn.edu in pub/gopher.  Those without clients can telnet to
consultant.micro.umn.edu and login as "gopher" to try it out.  (EFF's
Gopher server is listed under "Other Gopher and Information Servers".)

The EFF Gopher service is available on gopher.eff.org, port 70.  WAIS
access is available on wais.eff.org, port 210.  Anonymous ftp access to
the document library is available on ftp.eff.org, in directory pub/EFF.
Mail service is handled through archive-server@eff.org; use "index eff"
for a list of documents and document sections.

For more information on the EFF or online access to our documents, send
electronic or postal mail to the addresses below.

+=====+=======================================================+=============+
| EFF | 155 Second Street, Cambridge MA 02141 +1 617 864 0665 | eff@eff.org |
+=====+=======================================================+=============+
--
Christopher K. Davis      |       NET.INSIGHTS INTO ARTISTIC CRITICISM:
<ckd@eff.org>   EFF #14   | ``[Y]ou don't cure bad art by locking it all up
System Administrator, EFF | in one museum, you cure it by throwing tomatoes
+1 617 864 0665  [CKD1]   | at bad artists.'' --Barry Shein <bzs@world.std.com>
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.news,comp.org.eff.talk
Organization: University of Arizona Student Information & Research Services
Newsgroups: comp.org.acm
Date:         Mon, 28 Sep 1992 13:09:23 MST
              <ACM-L@OHSTVMA.BITNET>
From:         Michael Allen Clore <CLORE@ACM.ORG>
Subject:      Re: E-mail addresses
              25 Sep 1992 02:43:32 GMT from <technews@IITMAX.IIT.EDU>

On Fri, 25 Sep 1992 02:43:32 GMT Kevin Kadow said:
>The e-mail address is the fastest way to reach members, and really would be
>useful if included on the national membership forms. Internet addresses
>may be problematic (I don't know the numerical format for the VAX here) but
>can easily be converted (via name-server) for data-entry purposes.

  true, email is a great way to contact members; however, many computer
  professionals do not have electronic mail.  Only a few members in my
  chapter have email, and most of those who do don't read it on a regular basis
  (they're getting better though).  ACM is developing a program that will
  remedy the above problem.

  We can not limit email addresses to Internet addresses (especially to
  IP addresses).  There are other computer networks out there.

>BTW, there should also be a national listing of chapters and either their
>e-mail address or the "leaders" address. E.G. at IIT it's

  There is, and it is even an international list.

Regards-

Michael Allen Clore           |Internet: clore@acm.org  Phone:(602) 621-8541
  Southern Arizona ACM, Chair |"It is unworthy of excellent (people) to lose
  ACM-NS Information Project  | hours like slaves in the labor of calculation"
  Univ. of Arizona, Analyst   |-Baron Gottfried Wilhelm Von Leibniz(1646-1716)
Newsgroups: comp.org.acm
From: uli@cats.muh.dec.com (OOOO - Open Object-Oriented Ogre)
Subject: Re: Re: Subscription problems
Reply-To: uw@decum.enet.dec.com
Organization: Digital Equipment   Munich   Germany
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 10:16:51 GMT


>In article <ACM-L%92093003532377@OHSTVMA.ACS.OHIO-STATE.EDU>,
>			"A. Tevfik Inan" <TEVFIK@TRYILDIZ.BITNET> writes:
>
>On Fri, 25 Sep 1992 12:21:50 -0400 Ron Whittle said:
>>> Whenever you have a problem with your membership and/or subscriptions,
please
>>> contact the ACM Member Services Department at ACMHELP@ACMVM.BITNET.  If you
>>> wish to call, the phone # is (212) 626-0500, and the fax # is (212)
944-1318.
>>
>>I have sent these people multiple messages regarding problems with my
>>subscriptions, and have received no response.  I'm still trying, though.
>>
>
>We have a similar problem . One of my frieds  is still wait for a response
>to his (1,5 month old) e-mail ..
>
>I hope that every thing is going well there ||   8-(((
>
>A.Tevfik Inan

I always got excellent service using "normal" mail.
This "snailmail" works faster, though it is A_*C*_M - sigh....

	uli
--
OpenObjectOrientedOgre
From: blanche@diana.cair.du.edu (Blanche Cohen)
Newsgroups: comp.org.acm
Subject: Re: The Machine that changed the world
Date: 6 Oct 92 03:10:59 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Denver, Denver, Colorado

By the way, check with one of the local ACM groups in the area, such as a
SIG or Chapter. Each Local Group is allowed to tape the show direct from the
PBS show for use as long as we do NOT charge. For example, the Denver Chapter
has a set of the tapes. Fortunately I made tapes on each showing, because I
lost episode 3 on one of them. One set is in my house and the second is at
the Unversity of Denver Math & CS dept in the custody of the DU Student Chapter.
From: michaelb@cse.fau.edu (Michael Rogero Brown)
Newsgroups: comp.org.acm
Subject: Re: The Machine that changed the world
Date: 4 Oct 92 17:13:53 GMT
Organization: Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA

In article <2746@uswnvg.uswnvg.com> cjackso@uswnvg.com (Clay Jackson) writes:
>:A while back I asked about it, and the quote for it was something like 
>:450.00.  Not sure if that is cheap or expensive, but for a student member
>:that is certainly very expensive.
>
>: Any thoughts?
>: 
>: Marc
>
>Well, since you asked - $450 is a crying shame!  It's also a ripoff, AND
>(IMHO) an indication of a lot of what's wrong with ACM these days.  Hey
>folks - ACM members HELPED PAY for the production of this thing - WHY 
>does it have to cost so much?  Please don't give us any nonsense about 
>copyrights, or costs of production, or whatever -  this was produced
>by (supposedly) PUBLIC TV, with DONATED (supposedly) funds.  If Disney
>can sell it's classics for roughly $10/hour (a typical Disney movie
>runs about 2 hours, and costs about $20), WHY is this thing so special
>that it costs more than 4 TIMES that amount (don't get me wrong, I think
>it was a great show, and I would love to have a "real" copy.
>
Well, the amount being charged is by the video company producing the tapes.

I DO agree it's overpriced.  You can get Nova and National Geographic videos
in many stores for around $20 each.  Heck I can get the entire 9 episode
Civil Wars seris in a boxed set for a bit over $100 bucks.  $450 for 5 1hr
videos is outrageous.

Michael Brown
Former Chair, FAU Student Chapter ACM


-- 
<<                                                               >>
<< Michael R. Brown    CS Graduate Student-Florida Atlantic Univ >>
<< Internet: michaelb@sol.cse.fau.edu                            >>
<< BitNet: m_brown@fauvax                                        >>
Newsgroups: comp.org.acm,uiuc.acm
From: stangel@sparc8.cs.uiuc.edu (Mike Stangel)
Subject: Programming Contest?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 14:18:30 GMT

When is the student programming contest this year?  We've got a number
of people itching to sign up...

Thanks,

Mike
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
From: faigin@aero.org (Daniel P. Faigin)
Newsgroups: comp.org.acm
Subject: Re: The Machine that changed the world
Date: 5 Oct 92 08:18:54
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: soldan.aero.org
In-reply-to: cjackso@uswnvg.com's message of 3 Oct 92 22:08:55 GMT

On 3 Oct 92 22:08:55 GMT, cjackso@uswnvg.com (Clay Jackson) said:

> Well, since you asked - $450 is a crying shame!  It's also a ripoff, AND
> (IMHO) an indication of a lot of what's wrong with ACM these days. 

First of all, before you jump on the price, let's get an actual price list.

Secondly, although ACM was a sponsor, that in no way makes them a producer, or
involves them in the pricing of the finished product. That's up to the actual
producer of the beast; I'm pretty sure that ACM doesn't see a cent of profit
from the sales of the videotapes -- that goes to public television, if anyone.

> Please don't give us any nonsense about 
> copyrights, or costs of production, or whatever -  this was produced
> by (supposedly) PUBLIC TV, with DONATED (supposedly) funds. 

And these funds go for the production of a single copy, probably on 3/4" Beta,
for PBS to air. Production of the videotapes is a separate production run,
requires appropriate tooling and reproduction costs, label production,
packaging, etc. ACM didn't pay for that.

> If Disney
> can sell it's classics for roughly $10/hour (a typical Disney movie
> runs about 2 hours, and costs about $20), 

Disney also has a lot of marketing clout, and a video production facility
designed for such production, and sells in retail outlets to get large sales.
I doubt that the number of copies of "Dumbo" sold is as low as typical PBS
videocassette sales.

Daniel
--
[W]:The Aerospace Corp. M1/055 * POB 92957 * LA, CA 90009-2957 * 310/336-8228
[Email]:faigin@aerospace.aero.org              [Vmail]:310/336-5454 Box#13149
   "You can't be a rationalist in an irrational world. It isn't rational!"
	       Dr. Rance, in Joe Orton's "What the Butler Saw"
From: mef@june.cs.washington.edu (Marc E. Fiuczynski)
Newsgroups: comp.org.acm
Subject: The Machine that changed the world
Date: 3 Oct 92 02:55:33 GMT
Organization: University of Washington Computer Science

Hi,

Is it possible for our local ACM student chapter to get a copy of the ACM/PBS television
series.  A while back I asked about it, and the quote for it was something like $450.00.  Not
sure if that is cheap or expensive, but for a student member that is certainly very expensive.
I did donate money to have this produced and would not mind paying something like
$49.00 for it.  However, if our local student chapter or professional chapter could get a copy
and rent it out to people, that would be even better.

Any thoughts?

Marc
Newsgroups: comp.org.acm
From: michaelb@cse.fau.edu (Michael Rogero Brown)
Newsgroups: comp.org.acm
Subject: Re: Computers for students, by students.
Date: 6 Oct 92 16:03:40 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA

In article <1992Oct5.233518.27290@iitmax.iit.edu> technews@iitmax.iit.edu (Kevin Kadow) writes:
>We (The association for Computing Machinery, IIT chapter) are working to get
>a computer for student use, to provide the students and student organizations
>with a Bulletin Board System for announcements, discussion, and the like.
>
>	One of the requests the Finance Board (the student "leaders" who make
>financial decisions) has made before they will consider approval is that we
>provide them with information from:
>
>	"... other universities or groups outside of IIT who could advocate
>the additon of such a system, or ideally, have made such an addtion themselves."
>
Well, here at FAU have done exactly that.  We have a Bulliten Board System
called 'Cybernet' which runs on its own SUN SPARCstation.  The BB originally
ran on one of the CS department's Unix machine, but we were able to work out
a deal with Student Government to purchase a dedicated machine for the BBS.
The BBS provides FREE to students, faciulty and staff the following:
Internet email (student accounts on the VAX don't allow this), access to
Usenet, a Restricted Telnet, Hytelnet which allows access to Internet DBs,
and othe services like Hurricane forecasts, Nasa news, Stock quotes, and 
some other stuff.  We are also thinking of adding ClariNET, which would allow
news from the wireservices.
  We have also added local Usenet groups for a couple of clubs here (ours and
the SF club, and a couple of classes as well.  The system is fairly popular,
and we are always getting more users.

Hope this helps you.

Michael Brown
Former Chair, FAU Student Chapter of ACM


-- 
<<                                                               >>
<< Michael R. Brown    CS Graduate Student-Florida Atlantic Univ >>
<< Internet: michaelb@sol.cse.fau.edu                            >>
<< BitNet: m_brown@fauvax                                        >>
From: cjackso@uswnvg.com (Clay Jackson)
Newsgroups: comp.org.acm
Subject: Re: The Machine that changed the world
Date: 3 Oct 92 22:08:55 GMT
Organization: U S WEST NewVector Group, Inc.
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

:A while back I asked about it, and the quote for it was something like 
:450.00.  Not sure if that is cheap or expensive, but for a student member
:that is certainly very expensive.

: Any thoughts?
: 
: Marc

Well, since you asked - $450 is a crying shame!  It's also a ripoff, AND
(IMHO) an indication of a lot of what's wrong with ACM these days.  Hey
folks - ACM members HELPED PAY for the production of this thing - WHY 
does it have to cost so much?  Please don't give us any nonsense about 
copyrights, or costs of production, or whatever -  this was produced
by (supposedly) PUBLIC TV, with DONATED (supposedly) funds.  If Disney
can sell it's classics for roughly $10/hour (a typical Disney movie
runs about 2 hours, and costs about $20), WHY is this thing so special
that it costs more than 4 TIMES that amount (don't get me wrong, I think
it was a great show, and I would love to have a "real" copy.


--
I am not a spokesperson for US WEST, US WEST NewVector Group, or ANYONE
but myself.
--
Clay Jackson - N7QNM
US WEST NewVector Group Inc
Bellevue, WA
uunet!uswnvg!cjackso
Newsgroups: comp.org.acm
From: williford@lub001.lamar.edu
Subject: Need info to hand out to prospects.....
Organization: Lamar University - Beaumont
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 01:25:51 GMT
X-Posted-From: lub001.lamar.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

About a year ago we had some ACM national information that was in the form of
a paper disk.  When you unfolded it, their was inforwation about ACM and
possible a national membership form.  I was wondering where to get some more of
these or possible something new.  The information was out of date in those
anyway.

T.I.A. (Thanks in advance)

*****************************************************************************
Rhett Williford
Systems Operator
ACM President-Lamar University, Beaumont
Internet: williford@lub001.lamar.edu
*****************************************************************************
From: stoll@ocf.berkeley.edu (Cliff Stoll)
Newsgroups: comp.org.acm
Subject: Re: The Machine that changed the world
Date: 5 Oct 1992 22:42:07 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
NNTP-Posting-Host: sandstorm.berkeley.edu

A couple years ago, I worked with PBS/NOVA to make a show,
The CIA, the KGB, the Computer and Me.  Since its broadcast,
many people have asked me how to get a copy.

Sad news is that it costs $175 from some educational video
distribution company.  It's licensed only for distribution
to the "educational" community.

Why?  I dunno.  Everyone I ask refers me to someone else.  
Apparently, some Nova shows are available for home use,
others not.  Baffles me.  

Jus one of the mysteries of television production.
Film production is even less understandable, incidentally.

--Cliff Stoll



Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU