FW: Results of "downloading compressed program images" request

[Brian Cuthie <brian@systemix.com>]

>
>It's good for collecting money from people who don't have the time or pockets
>for a good defense.  If you think this is stupid, the courts where this would
>be decided, are even more gullible than the patent office. I'm truely afraid
>of the patent system these days.  It's another manifestation of a country run
>by lawyers and built by engineers.  We would do without the lawyers.
>
>-brian
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From:	Joel Sherrill [SMTP:joel@OARcorp.com]
>Sent:	Thursday, February 05, 1998 9:25 AM
>To:	Brian Cuthie
>Subject:	RE: Results of "downloading compressed program images" request
>
>
>I am still tying to figure out what exactly do they think they have
>patented?  It seems like (as you point out) they have patented any thing
>which plugs together with connectors.  Even if you assume they mean
>converters there are plenty of those dating back years.  RS-232->RS-422
>converters have been around for years.  I have a serial->parallel
>converter for a printer around 1982 and it wasn't new then.  Even a
>network print server with some smarts seems to be prior work.  I don't se
>that this patent has any legitimacy.  Can you think of one thing it is
>good for?
>
>--joel
>
>On Wed, 28 Jan 1998, Brian Cuthie wrote:
>
>> 
>> For those who think the US Patent and Trademark office actually serves
>> any useful purpose, I present the following counter-evidence:
>> 
>> The big news today is that Motorola is being sued by a company called
>> "General Patent International" for infringing on the following patent.
>> Does anyone really think that General Patent International is interested
>> in the free interchange of ideas and information?  These guys sound more
>> like that new breed of lawyers who run around and buy patents just to
>> sue everyone they can find.  Bigger fish, like Motorola, are more
>> interesting, of course.
>> 
>> If this patent is enforced, no one can make anything with two connectors
>> on it.  God Bless America.
>> 
>> Pat Reg# 4,603,320 
>> ABSTRACT
>> "A connector interface for enabling communications between first and
>> second data handling systems wherein the data in the first system is
>> arranged in a first type of format and the data in the second system is
>> arranged in a second type of format, includes a connector housing with
>> first and second sets of electrical contact elements exposed at
>> different portions of the housing. Circuitry contained entirely within
>> the housing operates to convert data transmitted to the first set of
>> contact elements from the first data handling system into corresponding
>> data in the second type of format for transmission to the second data
>> handling system through the second set of contact elements, and to
>> convert data transmitted to the second set of contact elements from the
>> second data handling system into corresponding data in the first format
>> for transmission to the first data handling system. One set of
>> electrical contact elements may, for example, be arranged to extend out
>> from the connector housing in two parallel rows to allow the elements to
>> be directly connected to corresponding terminals arranged in a dual in
>> line configuration on an outside printed circuit board. The connector
>> arrangement greatly simplifies the design and construction of data
>> processing systems requiring specific interfaces between certain parts
>> of the systems, such as between data terminal equipment and data
>> communication equipment employing serial binary data interchange."
>> 
>