furukori@sm.sony.co.jp (Masami Furukori) (06/27/90)
Hello net-landers, In article <14844@thorin.cs.unc.edu> brock@brock.cs.unc.edu (J. Dean Brock) writes: >A June 25, 1990, Computerworld article entitled "Token-ring patent suspended" >by Joanie Wezler describes two recent actions that "could loosen the >royalty-payment shackles imposed by patent holder Olof Soderblom on >token-ring and [FDDI]." > >(1), The U.S. Patent Office issued an initial response to invalidate >the patent. It's not final decision and Sonderbloom can file >a formal response. > >(2), UK-based Madge Networks, which was sued by Sonderbloom for refusing >to pay royality fees, has won the first round. The judge ruled that the >Soderbloom invention was based on a master/slave, not a peer-to-peer, >relationship between hosts. Again, an appeal is expected. [The European >token-ring patent expired in 1985. The suit is for back royality payments.] > >Wexler's article also states that Sonderbloom's royality for copper-based >token ring is about 3% and for FDDI "as much as $275 per adapter card." Could anyone out there enlighten me as to what it is all about? Any pointer to the patent in question is also appreciated. Thank you in advance. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------- Masami Furukori System Engineering Div., Supermicro Systems Gp. Sony Corporation Phone: 03-448-3369 E-mail: furukori@sm.sony.co.jp