Re: NCSA patents on MOSAIC ???!!!

Linas Vepstas (linas@innerdoor.austin.ibm.com)
Thu, 26 Jan 1995 01:53:32 +0100


I read months ago that Netscape Communications had been sued
by Spyglass for patent infringement. I didn't pay much heed then,
but you're right -- this could be important. Does anyone have any
more detailed or factual info?

--linas

(The suit was filed round Comdex time, where Netscape had upstaged
Spyglass in the glitz & hype department, despite Spyglasses "older"
product. I thought the suit concerned secure transactions,
e.g. crypto for financial transactions ??? ).

> From: Leonardo@aol.com
> Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 19:24:48 -0500
> Subject: NCSA patents on MOSAIC ???!!!
>
> WARNING:
>
> An article published in last Sunday's Chicago Tribune suggests that the
> University of Illinois has applied for several patents on technology relating
> to MOSAIC. If this is true, then they appear to be getting ready for a
> Unisys/Compuserve-style "hook them then cook them" move against the Internet
> community.
>
> Here's an excerpt from the article:
>
> >TITLE: "Microsoft deal lights up Naperville software innovator"
> >
> >By Ronald E. Yates
> >Tribune Staff Writer
> >Printed 1/22/95
> >
> >...Microsoft was eager for the Spyglass deal because the young
> >company controls the patents to Mosaic, the original software that
> >converts the complexities of the Internet into a mouse-controlled
> >graphical form. Mosaic makes the entire Internet look much like
> >what computer users encounter on their desktops with Microsoft
> > >Windows or the Apple Macintosh...
>
> This may have just been a factual error on the part of the Tribune writer,
> but the potential seriousness of what it suggests must not be ignored.