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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
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