mmm@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson) (07/18/89)
Can someone please tell me what the patents on Microchannel are? In fact, if you've got a PS/2, I'd like to know what all of the patent numbers are. They should be listed on a label somewhere on the outside of the machine, probably in the back. Also, in a recent interview with Jones of Chips and Technologies, he said any potential cloner of the 386 processor would have to deal with a few Intel patents related to protected mode. Can someone tell me what the patent numbers for the patents on the 386 are?
mslater@cup.portal.com (Michael Z Slater) (07/19/89)
>Can someone please tell me what the patents on Microchannel are? >In fact, if you've got a PS/2, I'd like to know what all of the patent >numbers are. They should be listed on a label somewhere on the outside >of the machine, probably in the back. >Also, in a recent interview with Jones of Chips and Technologies, he said >any potential cloner of the 386 processor would have to deal with a few >Intel patents related to protected mode. Can someone tell me what the >patent numbers for the patents on the 386 are? As far as I know, none of the PS/2 patents have been issued. All of IBM's talk about the need for clone vendors to license the Micro Channel technology was based on patent _applications_. Given the typical delay in granting patents, it is possible that some have now been issued, but it is also possible that they are still all pending. IBM does have a wide variety of general computer patents, as well as a number of specific patents on the PC and AT designs. As for cloning the 386, I believe that the primary patent of concern is #4,442,484, "Microprocessor memory management and protection mechanism", filed 10/14/80 and granted 4/10/84. This patent describes the memory management structure of the 286, which is also embodied in the 386. There may be some 386-specific patents as well, but I haven't heard anything about them. There are also two patents on the 8086/88 that may apply: 4,363,091 Extended address, single and multiple bit microprocessor 4,449,184 same title, but different content We've put together a reprint of these three patents, which we sell for $20. We also have a collection of 17 PC and AT patents for $40, and the famous (and massive) "Christiansen" patent for $50. (You can get all of these more cheaply by going directly to the US patent office, but it can take months. We provide these reprints mostly as a service to our subscribers; it costs us a significant fraction of our prices to copy, bind, and mail them.) Michael Slater, Microprocessor Report mslater@cup.portal.com 550 California Ave., Suite 320, Palo Alto, CA 94306 415/494-2677 fax: 415/494-3718
chasm@attctc.Dallas.TX.US (Charles Marslett) (07/19/89)
In article <20558@cup.portal.com>, mmm@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson) writes: > Also, in a recent interview with Jones of Chips and Technologies, he said > any potential cloner of the 386 processor would have to deal with a few > Intel patents related to protected mode. Can someone tell me what the > patent numbers for the patents on the 386 are? I am sure one is the '286 one-way door into protected mode (everyone would be using that if it were not patented, I am quite sure!) Charles Marslett chasm@attctc.dallas.tx.us [Note: I know nothing about Intel's patents, but this has to be worth at least the bandwidth for the smileys!]
jim@kaos.Stanford.EDU (Jim Helman) (07/20/89)
But seriously what are the legalities of marking things with patents, you obviously have to do it for copyright, one often sees patent numbers listed on manufactured objects, is this just intended to discourage the competition or to snow the consumer. Can I write 'Pat. Pending' on anything? Quoting from "Intellectual Property in a Nutshell" by A. R. Miller and M. H. Davis, pp. 127-128: The monopoly period does not begin to run until the actual issuance of the patent. Therefore, competitors are free to use, make, or sell an invention for which a patent application has been filed, until the actual grant. The words "patent pending" on an article give no protection at all during the period prior to the grant. The exclusive right granted to the patent owner does not allow for any defense based on good faith or ignorance. On the other hand, a patent owner is required to mark a product invention with notice of the patent or give actual notice to an infringer, if the owner is to recover money damages. Jim Helman Department of Applied Physics P.O. Box 10494 Stanford University Stanford, CA 94309 (jim@thrush.stanford.edu) (415) 723-4940
mmm@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson) (07/22/89)
> But seriously what are the legalities of marking things with patents, you > obviously have to do it for copyright, one often sees patent numbers listed > on manufactured objects, is this just intended to discourage the competition > or to snow the consumer. Can I write 'Pat. Pending' on anything? > > > Paul Campbell UUCP: ..!mtxinu!taniwha!paul AppleLink: D3213 You must mark the patent number in order to enforce your patent rights. There are laws and court decisions which define how legible these markings must be. You can only put 'Pat. Pending' on an object which would be covered under a patent application which has been filed, but for which no final action has been taken by the patent office.
paul@taniwha.UUCP (Paul Campbell) (08/15/89)
In article <20558@cup.portal.com> mmm@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson) writes: >..... >numbers are. They should be listed on a label somewhere on the outside >of the machine, probably in the back. >.... >Intel patents related to protected mode. Can someone tell me what the >patent numbers for the patents on the 386 are? They should be listed on a label somewhere on the outside of the chip, probably in the back :-) But seriously what are the legalities of marking things with patents, you obviously have to do it for copyright, one often sees patent numbers listed on manufactured objects, is this just intended to discourage the competition or to snow the consumer. Can I write 'Pat. Pending' on anything? Paul -- Paul Campbell UUCP: ..!mtxinu!taniwha!paul AppleLink: D3213 "Free Market": n. (colloq.) a primitive fertility goddess worshipped by an obscure cult in the late 20th C. It's chief priest 'Dow Jones' was eventually lynched by an enraged populace during an economic downturn (early 21st C).