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>From: [log in to unmask] (Gerard van Wilgen)
>Newsgroups: sci.lang,soc.culture.esperanto
>Subject: US company tries to prohibit freeware dictionary programme
>Date: Thu, 09 Oct 1997 16:02:25 GMT
>Organization: World Online
>Lines: 82
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>Xref: prism sci.lang:78464 soc.culture.esperanto:45803
Today I received an email containing rather bad news from an
acquaintance in the USA who exploits a site with info about
international travel. A large part of the pages there is about foreign
languages and there is also a multi-lingual dictionary programme that
I wrote. This acquaintance, the director of Travlang had received a
letter with the following contents from a lawyer:
Dear Dr. Martin
It has come to my attention that your website is offering a
multi-lingual
dictionary programme that goes by the name "ERGANE". It uses the
artificial
language Esperanto as an auxiliary language.
I direct your attention to the intellectual property right owned by
my
client TOLTRAN LTD., U.S. Patent No. 4,864,503, a copy of which is
enclosed
herewith for your study.
Since there appears to be an encroachment of Toltran's patent by
ERGANE, you
are hereby advised to immediately cease and desist and remove this
material
from the offering you are making in your website.
Failure by you to (1) immediately remove this material from your
website,
(2) publish acknowledgement of your error, in your website, and (3)
advising
the persons who have down-loaded this material from you that the use
thereof
will infringe our patent and to cease using and destroy the downloaded
material; can result in further action by my client.
Your immediate response is requested.
Sincerely yours,
Laff, Whitesel, Conte & Saret, Ltd.
J.R. Halvorsen, Of Counsel
Obviously I am honoured that Toltran Ltd. apparently considers my
little programme such a thread for the sale of their own inferior
products that they set the bloodhounds of Laff, Whitesel, Conte &
Saret on my trail, but still I am furious about the arrogance of folks
who think that they have a patent that covers something as elementary
as word translation by means of an artificial auxiliary language (not
just a artificial language but ANY artificial language). Apparently
they too use Esperanto for this (Zamenhof would turn in his grave if
he knew about this), a language that they did not invent themselves
but which only they are allowed to use for automatic translation
purposes (or so they claim).
Anyhow, naturally I won't take it lying down. Travlang will for the
time being remove the programme from its site (in the run-away US
civil law system anything can happen and a company cannot take such
risks), but happily the internet is nowadays larger than the USA and
sooner or later I shall find a new home for my programme where the
shysters of Laff, Whitesel, Conte & Saret cannot reach it.
But first I shall tell some home truths to those parasites of Toltran
who rather abuse the law than earn their wages with honest work. Those
who want to do likewise can use the following address.
Toltran Ltd.
626 Old Barn Road
Lake Barrington Shores
Barrington, IL 60010
USA
Email: [log in to unmask]
If we do nothing now Toltran may try to patent the use of the alphabet
or the use of words for translating purposes in the near future!
Gerard van Wilgen
--
Stanley A. Mulaik
School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
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