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From: rees@pisa.ifs.umich.edu (Jim Rees)
Newsgroups: comp.os.mach
Subject: Re: setuid bit patent
Message-ID: <4d6ae93c.1bc5b@pisa.ifs.umich.edu>
Date: 15 Oct 90 19:36:10 GMT
References: <1990Oct10.043444.13850@agate.berkeley.edu> <10656@goofy.Apple.COM> <2371@opus.cs.mcgill.ca> <3198@ucsfcca.ucsf.edu>
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Reply-To: rees@citi.umich.edu (Jim Rees)
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In article <3198@ucsfcca.ucsf.edu>, root@cca.ucsf.edu (Systems Staff) writes:
  It doesn't matter; the patent has been abandoned formally (the
  jargon is, I believe, "dedicated to the public" and the detailed
  reference has been posted many times to the net.

I looked into this about five years ago when Apollo started shipping systems
with setuid bits and no AT&T license.  The patent is #4,135,240, issued
January 16, 1979.  It has been "dedicated to the public."  You can get
details from AT&T's patent department, which used to be at 150 JFK Parkway,
Short Hills, NJ 07078.