Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!spool.mu.edu!sdd.hp.com!caen!ox.com!ox.com!emv From: emv@ox.com (Ed Vielmetti) Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk Subject: Re: AT&T Backing Store Patent Message-ID: Date: 23 Feb 91 08:18:21 GMT References: <1991Feb23.000152.29144@mtxinu.COM> Sender: usenet@ox.com (Usenet News Administrator) Organization: OTA Limited Partnership, Ann Arbor MI. Lines: 23 In-Reply-To: shore@mtxinu.COM's message of 23 Feb 91 00:01:52 GMT In article <1991Feb23.000152.29144@mtxinu.COM> shore@mtxinu.COM (Melinda Shore) writes: AT&T owns the patent for backing store, and has started enforcing it. This, of course, affects every X vendor and potentially every X user. Is the EFF planning on becoming involved? AT&T owns the patent for the implementation of backing store used in the Blit. This is not the same algorithm as that used for backing store in X or in the Bellcore MGR window manager. AT&T is claiming to own something which they do not own. AT&T needs to be stopped, one way or another. Patent law is not my specialty; however, I can offer my efforts as an agitator :-). I would hope that the EFF would be sympathetic to the case, but it's not clear that it fits within their charter. The League for Programming Freedom is opposed to software patents. Information on how to join is in prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/lpf/*. -- Msen Edward Vielmetti /|--- moderator, comp.archives emv@msen.com