[comp.lang.c] Null terminator patent disclosure

egr@contact.uucp (Gordan Palameta) (04/01/91)

                                        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.

mwizard@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Craig Nelson) (04/01/91)

egr@contact.uucp (Gordan Palameta) writes:



>     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.

	For those who are willing to put up with this crap, I have a
suggestion.  Declare all your strings one extra byte long and rewrite
your strXXX functions to look for two (2) "8 bit 0" bytes.  Then lets
all write a letter to Lex and tell them where they can stick the extra
byte.

	Craig (mwizard@eecs.ee.pdx.edu)

ken@aiai.ed.ac.uk (Ken Johnson) (04/01/91)

In article <1991Apr1.052315.16971@contact.uucp egr@contact.uucp (Gordan
Palameta) writes:

> Dear member of the "C" programming community, 

> As you are no doubt aware, the "C" programming language uses the "null
> terminator octet" method...  Please be advised that the "null terminator
> octet" method is covered by US Patent 4 910401

       APRIL FOOL'S DAY JOKE-OMETER

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         |_._._._._._|_._._._._._|_._._._._._|
                                                       ^
                                          Wheee!       |
                                                       |
                                                       |

Ken Johnson, AIAI             This is the Earth. No-one gets out of here alive
80 South Bridge, Edinburgh                                     PAY NO ROOF TAX
E-mail ken@aiai.ed.ac.uk                                          PAY NO RATES
031-650 2756 direct line                    Muslims say: Hands Off Shoplifters

yogi@cs.ubc.ca (Joseph Gil) (04/01/91)

>egr@contact.uucp (Gordan Palameta) writes:
>
>>     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
                              ^^^^^^
what else should be said?
>> lots ob bla/bla deleted.

mcdonald@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (Doug McDonald) (04/02/91)

In article <1991Apr1.052315.16971@contact.uucp> egr@contact.uucp (Gordan Palameta) writes:
>
>                                        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.
>


What? Me worry? My computer uses nine bit chars.

 

darcy@druid.uucp (D'Arcy J.M. Cain) (04/02/91)

In article <2169@pdxgate.UUCP> Craig Nelson writes:
>egr@contact.uucp (Gordan Palameta) writes:
>>     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.
>> [ Balance of April fool's posting deleted ]
>
>	For those who are willing to put up with this crap, I have a
>suggestion.  Declare all your strings one extra byte long and rewrite
>your strXXX functions to look for two (2) "8 bit 0" bytes.  Then lets
>all write a letter to Lex and tell them where they can stick the extra
>byte.

It's hard to tell if the above reply is also an April fool's joke but just
in case it isn't, want to talk about some swampland in Florida?

-- 
D'Arcy J.M. Cain (darcy@druid)     |
D'Arcy Cain Consulting             |   There's no government
Toronto, Ontario, Canada           |   like no government!
+1 416 424 2871                    |

tlglenn@cs.arizona.edu (Ted L. Glenn) (04/02/91)

     Personally, I think it's another April Fool's posting.

-- 
        -Ted L. Glenn             "Don't worry, be happy!" <--Ack! Pffffhhht!
         tlglenn@cs.arizona.edu
         G19382105@ccit.arizona.edu    G19382105@ARIZRVAX.BITNET

cjkuo@locus.com (Chengi Jimmy Kuo) (04/02/91)

Please be advised to look in your mailbox for a letter regarding trademark
infringement.  It was deemed that your Null terminator concept resembles 
too closely to the registered trademark of NULL(tm).  "Null" holds a 29/32
bit resemblance to "NULL" on many machines but especially yours.

* NULL is a trademark of Mattel Inc.

(From the files of "Truth is stranger than fiction.")
-- 
cjkuo@locus.com
"The correct answer to an either/or question is both!"

mwp@ubeaut.enet.dec.com (Michael Paddon,,,) (04/02/91)

From article <2169@pdxgate.UUCP>, by mwizard@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Craig Nelson):
> 	For those who are willing to put up with this crap, I have a
> suggestion.  Declare all your strings one extra byte long and rewrite
> your strXXX functions to look for two (2) "8 bit 0" bytes.  Then lets
> all write a letter to Lex and tell them where they can stick the extra
> byte.
> 	Craig (mwizard@eecs.ee.pdx.edu)

Dare I say... hook, line and sinker. Every year, someone gets taken
for a ride. This year, Craig, you're the lucky man!

					Michael

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jott@crash.cts.com (Joan Tine) (04/02/91)

In article <1991Apr1.161038.4202@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> mcdonald@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (Doug McDonald) writes:
>
>In article <1991Apr1.052315.16971@contact.uucp> egr@contact.uucp (Gordan Palameta) writes:
>>
>>                                        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.
>>
>
>
>What? Me worry? My computer uses nine bit chars.
>
> 

Are we all just tacitly going to ignore the fact that this message was
posted on (all together now...)

                    APRIL FIRST??

Huh?  Are we?  Huh?

decot@hpisod2.cup.hp.com (Dave Decot) (04/02/91)

Methinks youthinks the French don't know what day it is....

adrian@mti.mti.com (Adrian McCarthy) (04/04/91)

In article <cjkuo.670552756@fafnir.la.locus.com> cjkuo@locus.com (Chengi Jimmy Kuo) writes:
>* NULL is a trademark of Mattel Inc.

So is VOID.

Aid.  (adrian@gonzo.mti.com)

phil@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Phil Gustafson) (04/08/91)

In article <1991Apr1.052315.16971@contact.uucp> egr@contact.uucp (Gordan Palameta) writes:
>                                        Lextech SA
>                                        1, rue des Poissons d'avril
>                                        67000 Strasbourg, France

I'm surprised that nobody has commented on the fishiness of this
address.


-- 
  |  phil@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG 		 | Phil Gustafson
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