Re: EAS system

[Jibguy@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/21/00 2:34:21 PM Eastern Standard Time, fox893@yahoo.com 
writes:

<< EBS system did...
 Except much more advanced.  Is it true about the
 company who developed the system suing the FCC over
 the rights to it? >>

Apparently yes.   The company sent notices to about 500 stations (WJIB got 
one), demanding that such stations pay a fee of about $2,000 (intellectual 
property license).  Apparently very few stations paid, and the other 11,000 
stations did not get any such demanding letters, due to 'poor response' from 
the first 500.    The demand was also that each station was to place a 
conspicuous sign on the EAS unit that the technology was pateneted by them,   
 A few other silly demands, too; which I can't remember at the moment.   So, 
last I heard, they want the government to foot the bill.  They won one in 
court (against stations), and lost one, too.  Score 1-1, so everything is up 
in the air.   -  It put stations in a pickle.   They had to buy equipment, as 
the gov't told 'em so,  THEN comes along a year later,  someone out of the 
blue wanting about the same amount again.   
I just wonder what has happened to 12,000 EBS units sitting at all 
stations.....   Perhaps someone could gather them all, and sell them all to 
the gov't of another country.  That's not a slam on other countries getting 
our rejects.  But rather the old system worked fine, too  IF the employees on 
duty knew what it was.
------jibguy