[8514] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Towit and mutatis mutandis to you, too...
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Peter Deutsch)
Sun Nov 21 15:11:39 1993
From: Peter Deutsch <peterd@bunyip.com>
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1993 15:02:31 -0500
In-Reply-To: "Mark R. Ludwig"'s message as of Nov 20, 7:56
To: "Mark R. Ludwig" <Mark-Ludwig@uai.com>,
Cc: Com Priv <Com-Priv@psi.com>
[ Mark wrote: ]
> >>>>> Jay Machado <JAYMACHADO@delphi.com> writes:
>
> Jay> *This newsletter is printed on 100% recycled electrons*
>
> How much did you have to pay Peter of Bunyip to use his trademark?
> Wait! He patented the byte recycling idea. No, it's copywritten!
> Oh, never mind.$$
Actually, to strengthen our patent claim (and increase our
revenues once we start sending out all those threatening
lawyer's letters) I think our claim should be on the entire
recycling _process_, since when I was a kid I was told it
was processes that you patented (of course, this was
before all the silliness we've seen over the past few
years).
In any event, it's clear that it was the _recycling process_
that was at the heart of our new service (which everyone
agrees was a world first). Thus anyone who has ever
actually put anything into a recycling bin should just
save us all some time and money and send Bunyip a blank
cheque. We'll be able to save the time and effort of
actually applying for the patent and you can all save the
money you'd have spent on lawyers (well, some of it. We of
course will be taking the rest).
Now, before anyone complains that Bunyip wasn't actually
the first to invent the concept of recycling, I need only
point to the ongoing feeding frenzy of patented crypto
algorithms, search techniques, backing store for window
systems, and yes, now even multimedia concepts, to prove
that what we're planning to do falls squarely within the
bounds of accepted commercial practice.
< Sigh >
I must add that I'm finding it harder and harder to get
into the necessary bizarro state of mind to write one of
our company press releases, given how much stuff is going
around which is apparently done with a completely straight
face. I feel like my postings have to compete with
material from Max Headroom, Gary Larson and an AI program
created at Bell Labs for the attention of com-priv
readers...
- peterd
--
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"The Internet destroys the Greek tragedy of time and space..."
- Daniel Pimienta <pimienta!daniel@redid.org.do>
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