Games of Daze/Infomagic - Games of Daze (Summer 1995) (Disc 1 of 2).iso/x2ftp/msdos/news/unisys.txt

Text File | 1995-03-24 | 5.8 KB | 121 lines

This is an exerpt from the unisys home page http://www.unisys.com :

Unisys Clarifies Policy Regarding Patent
Use in On-Line Service Offerings

The concerns, inquiries and some apparent confusion that have resulted
>from the December CompuServe advisory clearly indicate that we need to
clarify our policy concerning the use of the Unisys Lempel Zev Welch
(LZW) patent by software developers for the major on-line services.

We want to reiterate earlier communications that the issue of patent
licenses is not focused on the end users of on-line networks, including
the Internet. We encourage end users to continue to take full advantage
of the outstanding benefits of a rapidly growing on-line community.

Unisys was awarded the patent in 1985. We became aware of the increasing
interest in our LZW patent beginning in 1990 when many companies
approached us to license the patent for their
hardware and software products. The growth in the use of compression
technology was mushrooming in order to meet the demands for transmitting
increased amounts of data. To date, more than 100 companies, including
hardware, software and on-line information services, have licensed the
Unisys LZW technology.

Two years ago, Unisys learned that the LZW method was incorporated in the
GIF specification and immediately began negotiations with CompuServe in
January of 1993. We reached agreement with CompuServe on licensing the
technology in June 1994, which calls for CompuServe to pay Unisys a
royalty of 1% of the average selling price it charges for its software.
This represents approximately 11 cents for each copy sold and connected
to its information service.

Under the agreement, CompuServe, at its discretion, could relicense the
LZW technology to commercial developers using the GIF specification in
software that connected directly to the CompuServe information service.

With the agreement completed on June 21, 1994, CompuServe was given six
months to implement the terms of its license. CompuServe later asked for
a one-month extension, which we granted.

Unisys did not require CompuServe to pass on any fee to its sublicensees
or end users. Such a decision, and the content and timing of CompuServe's
advisory, was at their discretion.

Consistent with the entire information industry's desire to protect
intellectual property, Unisys will expect all of the major commercial
on-line information services companies employing the LZW patent to
license the technology from Unisys at a reasonable rate. The on-line
service companies are not required to sublicense the technology to
developers producing software for the commercial on-line services. It
will be, as it is today, at the on-line service's discretion as to
whether it charges a license fee to developers or chooses an alternative
method to account for its licensing fees payable to Unisys.

We recognize and are concerned -- thanks in large part to the recent and
very active use of the on-line network -- that developers did not
understand that the patented technology was resident
in GIF. Taking that into account, Unisys does not intend to pursue
previous inadvertent infringement by versions of GIF-based software
products marketed prior to 1995.

Concerning all future software product development and enhancement of
existing products for accessing on-line services, Unisys expects
developers of commercial, for-profit software to
secure a license from Unisys, or through the licensed on-line service,
for the use of the patented technology. The very reasonable terms should
prove no financial barrier to the introduction of product into the
on-line network.

Unisys does not require licensing, or fees to be paid, for
non-commercial, non-profit GIF-based applications, including those for
use on the on-line services.

Concerning developers of software for the Internet network, the same
principle applies. Unisys will not pursue previous inadvertent
infringement by developers producing versions of software
products for the Internet prior to 1995. The company does not require
licensing, or fees to be paid for non-commercial, non-profit offerings on
the Internet, including "Freeware".

Commercial developers of GIF-based software for the Internet are expected
to secure a licensing agreement with Unisys for software products
introduced beginning in 1995, or enhancements of
products that were introduced prior to 1995. Again, terms should not
preclude the entry by these firms into the marketplace.

For organizations introducing World Wide Web servers and "Home Page"
offerings, most will not be required to secure a license from Unisys.
Most organizations acquire software from other developers to create their
offerings on their servers. Therefore, only the software firms who sell
the enabling software for profit would be expected to secure a licensing
agreement from Unisys.

Unisys understands that this issue has caused concern. We want to
reassure all users and developers that we are strong proponents of the
on-line industry.

We're proud that this important Unisys technology has played a role in
the introduction ofinnovative products and services, many of which are
fueling the explosive growth of the information superhighway.

As members of the information community we want to strike the appropriate
balance between information access and the rights of all information
companies, including the developers of software, to protect their
intellectual property rights.

Patent information: Contact Welch Patent Licensing Department; Unisys;
Mail Stop C1SW19;
P.O. Box 500, Blue Bell, PA 19424.

Or via Internet, send E-mail to [e-mail], or use a form
available on the Contact Page of the Unisys Web Server to request
follow-up information.

Media contacts: Unisys Public Relations -- Bob O'Leary [phone] or
Oliver Picher (215)
986-5367