Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!westmark!dave
From: dave@westmark.UU.NET (Dave Levenson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: compressing a bit stream
Keywords: data compression
Message-ID: <593@westmark.UU.NET>
Date: 6 Aug 90 20:23:10 GMT
References: <26B70D8E.23784@ics.uci.edu> <573@westmark.UU.NET> <592@wattres.UUCP>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Westmark, Inc., Warren, NJ, USA
Lines: 30

In article <592@wattres.UUCP>, steve@wattres.UUCP (Steve Watt) writes:
> In article <573@westmark.UU.NET> dave@westmark.UU.NET (Dave Levenson) writes:
...
> >I suggest that you have a look at the UNIX(tm) utility called compress.
> >It performs LZW encoding, and if you're at a UNIX site which runs
> 
> Watch out if you plan on using this for ANY commercial application...  There
> is a patent (number 4 558 302) held on the LZW algorithm by Unisys, and they
> are starting to realize what they have their hands on...


I didn't realize that patent-infringement was related to commercial
vs non-commercial use.  If netnews software contains someone's
pattented software and is being copied and distributed without the
patent-owner's permission, it would appear that there is already
widespread infringement of this pattent.

A copy of compress.c comes with every distribution of the netnews
software.  This software package is freely copied and distributed
wherever UNIX goes, and the copy that came with the netnews we run
here bears no copyright nor pattent notice.

Perhaps all nodes who run netnews should immediately discontinue the
use of compressed news transfers until this matter is resolved?

-- 
Dave Levenson			Voice: 908 647 0900  Fax: 908 647 6857
Westmark, Inc.			UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave
Warren, NJ, USA			AT&T Mail: !westmark!dave
[The Man in the Mooney]