Xref: utzoo comp.os.minix:7327 misc.legal:11301
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix,misc.legal
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Patent on UNIX set-UID
Message-ID: <1989Oct3.171213.7350@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <1144@msa3b.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 89 17:12:13 GMT

In article <1144@msa3b.UUCP> kevin@msa3b.UUCP (Kevin P. Kleinfelter) writes:
>I frequently read that UNIX's set-UID bit was one of the first software
>patents...  Should someone (Prentice-Hall in the
>case of MINIX) be paying a patent fee for distributing the operating system
>which uses this patented concept?  If not, why not?

Some years ago, AT&T "dedicated" (I think that's the right buzzword) the
patent, meaning that it is available for use by all without royalties.
Before that, Unix-workalike vendors did indeed have to either negotiate
a licence and pay fees, or use something different.
-- 
Nature is blind; Man is merely |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
shortsighted (and improving).  | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu