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Silvano Maffeis

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Apr 11, 1994, 4:33:17 AM4/11/94
to
I used to write "UNIX is a registered trademark of USL" when I mentioned
UNIX somewhere. Knowing that SUN bought out the UNIX sources from
Novell, the question arises whether I must replace "USL" by "SUN".

Summary:
Is UNIX now a registered TM of SUN?

Thanks. (Please e-mail)

silvano
--
Silvano Maffeis, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich. RFC 822: maf...@ifi.unizh.ch
Tel. office: +41 1 257 43 27, fax: +41 1 363 00 35, home: +41 1 302 35 70

Ragnvald T. Blindheim

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Apr 11, 1994, 5:24:24 AM4/11/94
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In article <1994Apr11.0...@ifi.unizh.ch> you wrote:
: I used to write "UNIX is a registered trademark of USL" when I mentioned

: UNIX somewhere. Knowing that SUN bought out the UNIX sources from
: Novell, the question arises whether I must replace "USL" by "SUN".

Woops, am I missing something here?
Did Sun *really* buy out the UNIX sources so Novell has *no* rights
to it anymore??
(sounds pretty wild!)

: Summary:


: Is UNIX now a registered TM of SUN?

Nope. The UNIX trademark was *given* to X/Open by Novell last year.

--
Ragnvald T. Blindheim ragn...@edb.tih.no
Utleirveien 6
7033 Trondheim
Norway
--
Ragnvald T. Blindheim ragn...@edb.tih.no
Utleirveien 6
7033 Trondheim
Norway

Ray Jones

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Apr 11, 1994, 11:58:15 AM4/11/94
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In <1994Apr11.0...@ifi.unizh.ch> maf...@ifi.unizh.ch (Silvano Maffeis) writes:

>I used to write "UNIX is a registered trademark of USL" when I mentioned
>UNIX somewhere. Knowing that SUN bought out the UNIX sources from
>Novell, the question arises whether I must replace "USL" by "SUN".

>Summary:
>Is UNIX now a registered TM of SUN?

In order to port Unix to any machine, you must have source code! So, if you
are going to build a XYZ machine, you buy source code (For V.4, from
Novell), do your port and resell binaries. About 1979, AT&T allowed the
resale of binaries for Unix. At that time, you couldn't call the product
Unix, you had to use some other name, therefore, we have AIX, HP-UX,
UniSoruce, Xenix,...... About 89, AT&T said if you meet certian
requirements, you could call the product Unix.

AT&T transfered the rights to Unix to USL to try and reduce some of the
bitching. At that point, "UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T" became
"UNIX is a registered trademark of USL". A year ago AT&T sold the Unix
rights to Novell and it became "UNIX is a registered trademark of Novell".

Novell, in trying to reduce some more of the bitching, transfered the
trademark "Unix" to X Open, so now it's "UNIX is a registered trademark of
X Open" although you still by the source code from Novell.

Confused? So are the rest of us.

James Vlcek

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Apr 12, 1994, 8:22:28 AM4/12/94
to
In article <Co38s...@edb.tih.no> ragn...@edb.tih.no writes:
>In article <1994Apr11.0...@ifi.unizh.ch> you wrote:
>: I used to write "UNIX is a registered trademark of USL" when I mentioned
>: UNIX somewhere. Knowing that SUN bought out the UNIX sources from
>: Novell, the question arises whether I must replace "USL" by "SUN".
>
>Did Sun *really* buy out the UNIX sources so Novell has *no* rights
>to it anymore??

Sun bought the rights to its own UNIX source base, such that it no
longer must pay royalties to Novell. SunSoft also has the right to
license its own source base to other parties. Novell did not
relinquish any of its own rights to the UNIX source base.

>: Is UNIX now a registered TM of SUN?
>
>Nope. The UNIX trademark was *given* to X/Open by Novell last year.

Actually, the deal is still in progress. Various minor issues (such
as what obligations Novell assumed by acquiring USL) still have to be
ironed out, and the process is expected to be completed this month.

My understanding is that, once X/Open has been deeded the UNIX
trademark, the proper acknowledgment will be:

UNIX is a registered trademark, licensed exclusively by X/Open Co., Ltd.

Jim Vlcek
vl...@epimbe.com

Message has been deleted

Rob Healey

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Apr 12, 1994, 2:32:45 PM4/12/94
to
In article <1994Apr11.0...@ifi.unizh.ch>,

Silvano Maffeis <maf...@ifi.unizh.ch> wrote:
>I used to write "UNIX is a registered trademark of USL" when I mentioned
>UNIX somewhere. Knowing that SUN bought out the UNIX sources from
>Novell, the question arises whether I must replace "USL" by "SUN".
>
They bought out their source license. Big difference. Sun no longer
pays royaltys for the code that is USL/Novell derived. Novell still
OWNS the source to the USL UNIX(tm) code. In fact, they are now
focusing on chasing down all distributers of NET/2 source, i.e. FreeBSD,
and making them either pony up or stop shipping.

UCB gave up too easy, they should have pushed for a restraining order on
USL and forced them to recall all copys of USL derived code that
infringed on UCB copyright. As it stands, UCB basically gave USL NET/2
on a plate and a light slap on the back of the hand. B^(.

Hopefully 4.4lite will come out soon so, like Sun, we can stop
paying blood money to those Novell/USL $%#^$%^$%^#.

In the long run Novell/USL will be the losers in all this, people will
remember their abusive behaviour toward the industry...

Where IS 4.4 when you need it?!?!

-Rob

#include <std/disclaimers.h>
Speaking for myself only of course!

Rob Healey

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Apr 12, 1994, 2:34:51 PM4/12/94
to
In article <Co38s...@edb.tih.no>,

Ragnvald T. Blindheim <ragn...@edb.tih.no> wrote:
>: Summary:
>: Is UNIX now a registered TM of SUN?
>
>Nope. The UNIX trademark was *given* to X/Open by Novell last year.
>
Nope. The trademark transfer is being held up due to Micro$oft having
their claws in the trademark from Xenix days. Kinda ironic eh? At least
4.4 will be free of Micro$oft's grip.

Ade Barkah

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Apr 13, 1994, 10:56:12 AM4/13/94
to
Rob Healey (rhe...@sirius.aggregate.com) wrote:
: In article <1994Apr11.0...@ifi.unizh.ch>,

: Silvano Maffeis <maf...@ifi.unizh.ch> wrote:
: >I used to write "UNIX is a registered trademark of USL" when I mentioned
: >UNIX somewhere. Knowing that SUN bought out the UNIX sources from
: >Novell, the question arises whether I must replace "USL" by "SUN".
: >
:They bought out their source license. Big difference. Sun no longer
:pays royaltys for the code that is USL/Novell derived. Novell still
:OWNS the source to the USL UNIX(tm) code. In fact, they are now
:focusing on chasing down all distributers of NET/2 source, i.e. FreeBSD,
:and making them either pony up or stop shipping.

Er, Novell `gave' the UNIX trademark to a non-profit organization
last year (I believe it was X/Open.) "Unix" is now defined by
a "standard" interface (API functions) -- these are loose terms
on my part -- called Spec1180 or something similar. Of course,
USL's source code lends nicely to spec 1180. =)

Also, Sun didn't buy/licensed ALL of Novell's sources, just
a version. (4.0 ?)

Sorry I'm not being exact, been up all week, but y'all get
the idea.

:In the long run Novell/USL will be the losers in all this, people will


:remember their abusive behaviour toward the industry...

:Where IS 4.4 when you need it?!?!

Touche. =) If I were betting my business......

-Ade
mba...@barkah.golden.co.us
--
"I'd sell my source code without non-disclosure if you give me coffee"
Barkah public access unix site, running microport svr4 4.2.1

Leonard Sitongia

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Apr 13, 1994, 3:26:02 PM4/13/94
to
In article 79...@slate.mines.colorado.edu, mba...@slate.mines.colorado.edu (Ade Barkah) writes:
>
>Er, Novell `gave' the UNIX trademark to a non-profit organization
>last year (I believe it was X/Open.) "Unix" is now defined by
>a "standard" interface (API functions) -- these are loose terms
>on my part -- called Spec1180 or something similar. Of course,
>USL's source code lends nicely to spec 1180. =)
>

I think that reference should be SPEC 1170, but I've only heard it. Where is
it described? How did it come about?

Thanks.


---
--Leonard E. Sitongia HAO Unix System Manager
sito...@ncar.ucar.edu voice: (303)497-1509 fax: (303)497-1589
High Altitude Observatory P.O. Box 3000 Boulder CO 80307 USA


Geoff Rehmet

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Apr 14, 1994, 3:08:38 AM4/14/94
to

>In article <1994Apr11.0...@ifi.unizh.ch>,
>Silvano Maffeis <maf...@ifi.unizh.ch> wrote:
>>I used to write "UNIX is a registered trademark of USL" when I mentioned
>>UNIX somewhere. Knowing that SUN bought out the UNIX sources from
>>Novell, the question arises whether I must replace "USL" by "SUN".
>>
> They bought out their source license. Big difference. Sun no longer
> pays royaltys for the code that is USL/Novell derived. Novell still
> OWNS the source to the USL UNIX(tm) code. In fact, they are now
> focusing on chasing down all distributers of NET/2 source, i.e. FreeBSD,
> and making them either pony up or stop shipping.

Just to clarify as far as FreeBSD is concerned:

USL has given the FreeBSD project the go-ahead to ship version 1.1 as it
is. (They have given a 3 month window during which they will allow
the continued use of the disputed code.)
The effort to replace the disputed code will start as soon as the
4.4Lite code is available (within 2 weeks hopefully).

FreeBSD version 1.1 will ship (watch the BSD newsgroups for an
announcement).

Geoff.
--
Geoff Rehmet, Computer Science Department, | ____ _ o /\
Rhodes University, South Africa |___ _-\_<, / /\/\
email : cs...@cs.ru.ac.za | (*)/'(*) /\/ / \ \
: ge...@neptune.ru.ac.za |

Ragnvald T. Blindheim

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Apr 14, 1994, 4:21:20 AM4/14/94
to
Leonard Sitongia (sito...@hao.ucar.edu) wrote:

: >on my part -- called Spec1180 or something similar. Of course,


: >USL's source code lends nicely to spec 1180. =)

: I think that reference should be SPEC 1170, but I've only heard it.

Maybe X/Open added 10 more system-calls/library functions to the spec, and
suddenly, Spec1170 turned out to be Spec1180 :-)))

Raymond Shwake

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Apr 16, 1994, 4:26:45 PM4/16/94
to
ragn...@jedi.edb.tih.no (Ragnvald T. Blindheim) writes:

>In article <1994Apr11.0...@ifi.unizh.ch> you wrote:
>: I used to write "UNIX is a registered trademark of USL" when I mentioned
>: UNIX somewhere. Knowing that SUN bought out the UNIX sources from
>: Novell, the question arises whether I must replace "USL" by "SUN".

>Woops, am I missing something here?
>Did Sun *really* buy out the UNIX sources so Novell has *no* rights
>to it anymore??
>(sounds pretty wild!)

Sun, like all other UNIX vendors, was paying royalties on each
copy of UNIX sold. According to published reports, Sun was paying some
$20 million yearly for those rights. If I understand the "sale" correctly,
they will cease paying those royalties. However Sun's license only
extends to System V Rel 4.0, not 4.2. Novell still "owns" all the
technology associated with Unix System Labs (unless it's sold some off
since then).
--

uunet!media!irscscm!nearside!shwake shwake@rsxtech

Greg Price

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Apr 20, 1994, 12:51:03 PM4/20/94
to
>In article <1994Apr11.0...@ifi.unizh.ch> you wrote:
>: I used to write "UNIX is a registered trademark of USL" when I mentioned
>: UNIX somewhere. Knowing that SUN bought out the UNIX sources from
>: Novell, the question arises whether I must replace "USL" by "SUN".

>: Summary:


>: Is UNIX now a registered TM of SUN?

>Nope. The UNIX trademark was *given* to X/Open by Novell last year.

UNIX is or was a trademark of AT&T, Bell Labs, Novell, USL, X/Open, (Western
Electric/General)? They are the ones I can remember seeing.... Can anyone
else add to the list? UNIX is like an adopted child that was really put
through the wringer... As UNIX asks "Who are mum and dad?"

Greg

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