*BSD News Article 3166


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From: drg@bubba.ma30.bull.com (Daniel R Guilderson)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd
Subject: Re: UNIGRAM's article on the USL-BSDI suit
Message-ID: <DRG.92Aug6140535@bubba.ma30.bull.com>
Date: 6 Aug 92 21:05:35 GMT
References: <1992Aug1.042344.23428@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> <l7k5fqINNgc9@neuro.usc.edu>
	<l7k6maINNgeg@neuro.usc.edu> <l7k72rINNgfn@neuro.usc.edu>
	<leb.712651912@Hypatia> <BZS.92Aug1172816@ussr.std.com>
	<DRG.92Aug3095931@bubba.ma30.bull.com> <BZS.92Aug3161035@ussr.st
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In-Reply-To: bzs@ussr.std.com's message of Mon, 3 Aug 1992 21:10:35 GMT

In article <BZS.92Aug3161035@ussr.std.com> bzs@ussr.std.com (Barry Shein) writes:

   >Once they have purchased USL, what incentive is there to change
   >tactics?

   Because the precedent AT&T appears to be seeking threatens much of
   those research institutions' intellectual property and lays the way
   for billions of dollars in claims against them.

Aside from the fact that I don't understand why anyone would want to
give money to academic institutions that simply take the money and
invest it in non-academic portfolios, I don't understand how buying
one company will solve the crisis.  It won't prevent another company
from trying the same tactic.  Will Harvard have enough money to buy
all the companies that threaten their intellectual property?  If
Harvard et al do buy USL, it is possible that they will come to the
conclusion that as long as none of the investors are sued, it is good
business sense to sue anyone who might compete with their company.
They won't invest $125M just to get a lousy return.  Heck, if it's
such a big deal why don't they invest $1.25M in lawyers to defeat the
suit?

My post wasn't meant to injure your ego, pal.  Too bad you took it
that way.