Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!lll-lcc!pyramid!gould9!joel From: joel@gould9.UUCP (Joel West) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems Subject: Re: Pending FCC ruling threat to modem users Message-ID: <955@gould9.UUCP> Date: Mon, 29-Dec-86 01:30:52 EST Article-I.D.: gould9.955 Posted: Mon Dec 29 01:30:52 1986 Date-Received: Mon, 29-Dec-86 18:37:33 EST References: <1572@brl-adm.ARPA> <3454@curly.ucla-cs.UCLA.EDU> <403@pixar.UUCP> <2262@well.UUCP> Organization: Western Software Technology, Vista, CA Lines: 19 Summary: patent suit BizComp and Hayes may have the biggest threat to modem users. BizComp claims a patent on auto-dialing technology, controling dialing with the data line (unlike the earlier UNIX modems, which required a separate calling unit.) Apparently Hayes paid about $2 million to license (or buy off, if you like) BizComp's patent threat, and also claims its own patent on the 1 second before and after the +++ escape. BizComp has sued Prometheus, a modem clone company. Needless to say, if Hayes and BizComp win, cheap competition in the modem market would be threatened. US Robotics has filed a pre-emptive lawsuit alleging antitrust violations against both companies, but if the patents are valid, it doesn't stand a chance. -- Joel West MCI Mail: 282-8879 Western Software Technology, POB 2733, Vista, CA 92083 {cbosgd, ihnp4, pyramid, sdcsvax, ucla-cs} !gould9!joel joel%gould9.uucp@NOSC.ARPA