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Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss,comp.misc,comp.dcom.modems
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From: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva)
Subject: Re: hayes lawsuit
Message-ID: <9BDBC58@xds13.ferranti.com>
Reply-To: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva)
Organization: Xenix Support, FICC
References: <4913@orbit.cts.com>
Date: Fri, 17 May 91 16:56:58 GMT

In article <4913@orbit.cts.com> kurt@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Kurt Sletterdahl) writes:
> The following is a more recent Hayes press release on the subject. As for
> who was right in this dispute, the jury verdict and Judge's comments speak
> for themselves.

Given the other outrageous abuses of the patent and copyright systems in the
field of software do you really think that this particular case is any less
obscene. Particularly when the president of hayes says things like:

> "Hayes-compatible" have used the same escape sequence mechanism.  "This
> technology has withstood the test of time," said Dennis Hayes, "and no one
> has demonstrated to the industry a better escape mechanism."

The use of the defined standard RS-232 lines, such as DTR, for transmitting
such out-of-band data, or the use of the break signal, is clearly superior.
The only reason the +++  sequence is still used is because it's the convention
Hayes established when it had a virtual monopoly in the field. And the only
reason that it was used in the first place was the poor design of micros'
serial ports back in the late '70s and early '80s.

It's a kludge, and no more deserves patent protection than does a nylon
stocking used as a spare fanbelt.

(someone please follow up with LPF information)
-- 
Peter da Silva; Ferranti International Controls Corporation; +1 713 274 5180;
Sugar Land, TX  77487-5012;         `-_-' "Have you hugged your wolf, today?"