Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Path: utzoo!utdoe!contact!egr
From: egr@contact.uucp (Gordan Palameta)
Subject: Null terminator patent disclosure
Organization: Contact Public Unix BBS. Toronto, Canada.
Date: Mon, 1 Apr 91 05:23:15 GMT
Message-ID: <1991Apr1.052315.16971@contact.uucp>


                                        Lextech SA
                                        1, rue des Poissons d'avril
                                        67000 Strasbourg, France

                                        Lextech America
                                        666 Massachusetts Avenue
                                        Cambridge, MA 02139   USA


     Dear member of the "C" programming community,


     As you are no doubt aware, the "C" programming language uses the
     "null terminator octet" method to delimit strings of characters.

     This method consists of using an aligned set of eight consecutive
     zero bits to unambiguously mark the termination point of a text string
     stored in a character array.

     Please be advised that the "null terminator octet" method is
     covered by US Patent 4 910401 granted to Lextech SA, and as
     such may not be used without permission.


     All software developed in the "C" programming language which
     makes use of "null terminator octets", explicitly or implicitly
     through standard "string-handling" library functions such as
     "strcat", "strcpy", "strlen", is subject to royalty payments.

     Lextech intends to vigorously enforce its legal rights in this
     matter (retroactive to 1984).  Our royalty scheme is as follows:

          Use of "null terminator octets" within source code

          Each instance, up to 100                    $US 0.33
          Each subsequent instance, up to 1000        $US 0.17
          Each subsequent instance, without limit     $US 0.08

     Please note that this fee is applicable to each distributed copy
     of a program.


     So-called "public-domain" or "free" software is exempt from
     royalties.  However, for statistical purposes, authors of
     such software are still required to submit detailed reports of
     "null terminator octet" use, including each source code line
     where such use occurs.

     For further information, you are invited to call our 900 number
     [ number deleted -- Ed. ] or write to the address indicated above.