Mail patent fight brewing

Tokyo Ð Toshiba Corporation filed a patent application describing an "electronic mail system capable of imbedding, delivering, and playing back sound files," claiming its invention dates back to April 24, 1981. If the claim is granted, NeXT and its Japanese partner, Canon, could be prevented from distributing NeXTmail in Japan.

Canon, which currently owns 17.9 percent of NeXT, has filed an official objection to the claim with the Japanese patent office, according to Tom Lavelle, NeXT general counsel. He said that NeXT itself has not yet fully studied the Toshiba claims. Unlike the U.S. patent system, patents in Japan are published in order to give competing companies a chance to object before the patent is awarded.

Ð Simson L. Garfinkel