goldstein@delni.DEC.COM (Fred R. Goldstein dtn226-7388) (04/08/88)
Just to clarify...
Southern New England Tel used to be a "licensee" of the "Bell System".
That meant they paid maybe 3% off the top to AT&T, and got the rights
to AT&T's patents and manufacturing (cheap). So they used a Bell in
their logo and provided Bell-quality service (if there was such a
thing, but I suppose it was better than GTE California!)
But came the day of reckoning (the divestiture MFJ), SNET was NOT
classed as a Bell. They're "innocent", and not prohibited from doing
things that the seven Baby Bells are prohibited from doing. "Bell"
is now a trademark collectively owned by the RBOCs, but nowadays
usually refers to those seven companies and their associated lawyers,
probation officers, etc. :-)
fred