Subject: Re: Interesting Patent

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 10:41:00 -0500

Brian, thank you for bringing this info to the list.  I see that the 
patent dates from January 1998.  My question to the list is was there 
discussion on the items referenced in the patent prior to that timeframe. 
If so, we must resolve any potential conflicts gracefully here on the 
list.

John (Stracke), do you have some feedback you can share with us on this 
patent.  I believe it is from the company with which you are associated 
and you may be able to provide some valuable assistance and input.  I 
appreciate your help.

[email-masked]
Sent by: [email-masked]
12/28/99 01:42 AM

        To:     [email-masked]
        cc: 
        Subject:        Interesting Patent

Hi,

I have been interested in the ICAL specifications, and am looking forward 
to 
their final developments, but one of my collegues hapened accross a Patent 

which was just granted (5,960,406) which seems to patent many of the 
features 
which were developed as part of this forum.  Is that allowed?  The patent 
is 
for a product called eCal that is used in a calendar product called 
appointnet.  You can view the patent information via this link: <A 
HREF="http://164.195.100.11/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&
p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1='5,960,406'.WKU.&OS=PN/5,960,406&R
S=PN/5,960,406">US Patent Office (Patent 5,960,406)</A>

I'm sure this is a matter of someone patenting a product which was 
developed 
after the specifications were developed by other parties, but I was 
wondering 
if it will cause any problems with people who want to develope Calandering 

software based on the RFC's from iCalendar and don't know about the patnet 

until they get a call from some lawyer.

Brian Westerman
Syzygy Incorporated

---

From: "Danny Gumport" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 11:37:50 -0500

Also,
 i had a meeting with Clark Milioti (principal voice of reason) 
at eCal last week. John, you were mentioned, and I mentioned that
I had followed your postings to this group for the last
few (it has been a long time) years, and had met you earlier 
in the InSoft days as InSoft was becoming netscaped.
 it would be sooooo disappointing to think that the hard work of this
group was being turned into non-shareable tools... creating lots of
great product that are copyrighted is one thing...but patenting the
technology that is the brain child of so many people seems wrong to me.
 any info on this would be greatly appreciated.
-Danny G

[email-masked] wrote:
> discussion on the items referenced in the patent prior to that
> timeframe.  If so, we must resolve any potential conflicts gracefully
> here on the list.
> 
> John (Stracke), do you have some feedback you can share with us on
> this patent.  I believe it is from the company with which you are
> associated and you may be able to provide some valuable assistance and
> input.  I appreciate your help.
> 
>  [email-masked]
>  Sent by:                                     To:
>  [email-masked]           [email-masked]
>                                               cc:
>  12/28/99 01:42 AM                            Subject:
>                                        Interesting Patent
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I have been interested in the ICAL specifications, and am looking
> forward to
> which were developed as part of this forum.  Is that allowed?  The
> patent is

-- 
____________________________________________________________________
Danny Gumport                             AGENCY.COM
Chief Information Officer                 20 Exchange Place, 15th Floor
                                          New York, NY. 10005
v. (212) 358-2666                
f. (212) 202-3838                         mailto:[email-masked]
b. (917) 345-1192 or                      http://www.Agency.com
         mailto:[email-masked]      ICQ: 39462186

---

From: John Stracke <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 18:02:48 -0500

[email-masked] wrote:

> John (Stracke), do you have some feedback you can share with us on this patent.

Let me go talk to the lawyers...

--
/================================================================\
|John Stracke    | http://www.ecal.com |My opinions are my own.  |
|Chief Scientist |===============================================|
|eCal Corp.      |No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife in the|
[email-masked]|shoulderblades will cramp his style.           |
\================================================================/