🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <gnusenet9107131607.AA14833@mole.gnu.ai.mit.edu> rms@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Richard Stallman) writes:
>US patent number 4,956,809 covers using a single standard byte
>ordering for transfer of data between machines whose normal byte
>ordering is different.
>
...

Several people have followed up asking who owns the patent, what it
actually says, etc.  Following my message are the abstract and claims
sections of the patent in question.  I have the entire text of the
patent (about 35k total ... in this posting I just left out the
long-winded description which is intended to give patent examiners
enough background information to make intelligent decisions).  If
someone would like me to mail it to them (e.g. the person running the
"patent info" FTP site), let me know.  I could also make the full text
of other software patents available if someone would like to point me
at a place to put them.

I suspect many of you will be as shocked as I was to learn that the
Assignee (owner) of this patent is Mark Williams Company.  I'm fairly
certain that this is the same Mark Williams which markets an incredibly
cheap UNIX clone (Coherent), and (if I remember correctly) once donated
an Atari ST-based C compiler to the public domain.  [The patent text
explicitly mentions Coherent in many places, and that's the only Mark
Williams Company I know of].

I wasn't so much shocked to learn that they had patented something
totally trivial (there's a LOT of that going on) as I was to hear that
they are sqeezing the likes of Sun Micro for royalties.  Is this really
true?  Are they really trying to cash in on a questionable patent in
this climate?  Don't they get a newsfeed?  :-)

Anyway, the poop follows my signature.  Disclaimer:  I do not speak for
EDS, the USPTO, MWC, or anyone else.  I speak only for myself.

>>Chx aka Mark
--
cheeks@edsr.eds.com    or     ...uunet!edsr!cheeks

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patent Number:	4,956,809
Date Filed:	December 29, 1988      Date Issued:	September 11, 1990

Patent Title:	Method for canonical ordering of binary data for portable
		operating systems

Inventors:	George; Johann, Thompson; Trevor J., 
		Conroy; David G., Tudor; Frederick H.

Assignee:	Mark Williams Company


Patent Abstract:

A method for making files compatible between different computers having
different binary structures while using the same operating system by
keeping all files in a standardized canonical order when they move to or
from external data storage or communication means. The method includes
converting all binary data accessed from a file or communications channel
from the canonical order to the natural order of the host computer before
using the binary data in the host computer and converting all binary data
which is to be sent to a file or communications channel from the natural
order of the host computer to the canonical order before sending the binary
data.



Patent Claims:

We claim: 

1. A method for use with a portable operating system used on different
computers which use different binary structures, whereby files containing
binary data become portable, comprising the steps of: by means of a
computer, representing in a standardized order consisting of a standard
binary structure files stored on auxiliary memory or transported on a
communications means, said standardized order being different from a
natural order used on at least one of the different computers; converting
in each of the different computers binary data read from auxiliary data
storage or communications means from the standardized order to the natural
order of the respective host computer after said binary data are read from
said auxiliary data storage or communications means and before said binary
data are used by the respective host computer; and converting in each of
the different computers binary data written into auxiliary data storage or
communications means from the natural order of the respective host computer
to the standardized order prior to said writing.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said operating system comprises a
UNIX like operating system.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said file comprises a file system
and some or all of said binary data is converted.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said file comprises an object
file expressed in binary.

5. A method for use on different computers which use different binary
structures, whereby files containing binary data become portable between
the computers, comprising the steps of: representing by means of a computer
files that are stored for use by one or more of the computers or are
transported on a communications means to one or more of the computers, in a
predetermined binary structure different than the binary structure used on
at least one of the different computers; converting in each of the
computers binary data, to be stored for use by one or more of the computers
or to be transported on said communications means to one or more of the
computers, from the binary structure of the originating computer to the
predetermined binary structure, and converting in each of the computers
binary data obtained from said stored files or from said communications
means from said predetermined binary structure to the binary structure used
by said computer.
-- 
cheeks@edsr.eds.com    or     ...uunet!edsr!cheeks