>Path: prism!smash.gatech.edu!gatech!144.212.95.13.MISMATCH!nntprelay.mathworks.com!howland.erols.net!netnews.com!news2.euro.net!newsgate.cistron.nl!het.net!news.worldonline.nl!not-for-mail >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 >Distribution: inet >Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]> >NNTP-Posting-Host: ut1-p88.worldonline.nl >X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 >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 uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!pscccsm Internet: [log in to unmask]