You can find the patent here: http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?&pn=US04873662_ _ Here's what it means: IF you have a modem and IF you only dial in to one machine, and IF that one machine has a display system by which it uses one chunk of memory to represent both display and formatting information, and IF you use ONLY keystrokes to indicate that you wish to a) use another piece of data in another block or b) change the formatting of the current block, then you are in violation of the patent. Clever lads, they even designed this unique technology to cover the case that one "computer" might be accessed by several "terminals" (oh, the technology!). In NO case, however, does it cover the possibility that a chunk of information in memory might refer to a memory address on some OTHER machine, which it might be conected to via some newfangled technology, say, a thin piece of wire running out the back. I am especially thrilled by BT's assertion that it is merely because of the "American culture" that we will fight any and all attempt to enforce this "patent" as regards the hyperlink. What's even better is if that you read this patent the right way, BT could claim to have invented computer memory. Wow! GBlandston
Slashdot Mirror
You can find the patent here: http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?&pn=US04873662_ _ Here's what it means: IF you have a modem and IF you only dial in to one machine, and IF that one machine has a display system by which it uses one chunk of memory to represent both display and formatting information, and IF you use ONLY keystrokes to indicate that you wish to a) use another piece of data in another block or b) change the formatting of the current block, then you are in violation of the patent. Clever lads, they even designed this unique technology to cover the case that one "computer" might be accessed by several "terminals" (oh, the technology!). In NO case, however, does it cover the possibility that a chunk of information in memory might refer to a memory address on some OTHER machine, which it might be conected to via some newfangled technology, say, a thin piece of wire running out the back. I am especially thrilled by BT's assertion that it is merely because of the "American culture" that we will fight any and all attempt to enforce this "patent" as regards the hyperlink. What's even better is if that you read this patent the right way, BT could claim to have invented computer memory. Wow! GBlandston