RE: SBC enforcing all-encompassing Web patent

Things must be tough in the local telephone monopoly business. It's really difficult to make money when you have 30 bucks a month guaranteed from every single person with a phone line.  

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-cni-copyright[_at_]cni.org [mailto:owner-cni-copyright[_at_]cni.org] On Behalf Of Eric Schnell
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2003 10:40 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: SBC enforcing all-encompassing Web patent  

This IP item emerged last week:

SBC Communications Inc is enforcing a patent it owns that, it claims, covers the use of frame-like user interfaces in web sites According to an SBC letter published by MuseumTour.com, which was the first to disclose SBC was demanding license fees, simply using an interface that remains on-screen while a user navigates the site could constitute infringement of US patents 5,933,841 and 6,442,574, both entitled
"Structured Document Browser".

SBC is asking between $527 and $16.6m per year to license the patented technology, depending on the annual revenue of the company concerned and what kind of license they sign up for.

http://news.com.com/2100-1023-981446.html?tag=cd_mh

Eric Schnell
Assistant Professor
Head, Information Technology Services
Prior Health Sciences Library
The Ohio State University
schnell.9[_at_]osu.edu / 614-292-4870
http://bones.med.ohio-state.edu/eric.html

"You see, I don't believe that libraries should be drab places where
people
sit in silence, and that's been the main reason for our policy of employing
wild animals as librarians." --Monty Python's Flying Circus Received on Tue Jan 28 2003 - 16:42:52 GMT