Imported from previous forum
[ original email was from Bob Lamoureux - blamoureux@bridge.com ]
I need to spread the word far and wide so that all of us can give this matter immediate attention. It seems that on January 26, 1999, a gentleman from Toronto was granted a US patent that refers to and/or includes certain aspects of the FIX protocol. The patent number is 5,864,827 and can be retrieved at <BR>
http://164.195.100.11/netahtml/srchnum.htm<BR>
<P>
It appears that this patent covers all forms of translations between the FIX protocol and just about any other protocol.
<P>
I fear this may have dire consequences for anyone who currently accepts FIX messages and translates them into another format, (even internal usage). This could be especially harmful to anyone in the business of providing FIX-to-??? engines.
<P>
Please download o copy of this patent and have your respective attorneys review it in order to assess the impact of this patent.
<P>
Bob Lamoureux
mailto:blam@bridge.com
[ original email was from Gregory Katz - gkatz@neonsoft.com ]
> I need to spread the word far and wide so that all of us can give this matter immediate attention. It seems that on January 26, 1999, a gentleman from Toronto was granted a US patent that refers to and/or includes certain aspects of the FIX protocol. The patent number is 5,864,827 and can be retrieved at <BR>
> http://164.195.100.11/netahtml/srchnum.htm<BR>
> <P>
> It appears that this patent covers all forms of translations between the FIX protocol and just about any other protocol.
> <P>
> I fear this may have dire consequences for anyone who currently accepts FIX messages and translates them into another format, (even internal usage). This could be especially harmful to anyone in the business of providing FIX-to-??? engines.
> <P>
> Please download o copy of this patent and have your respective attorneys review it in order to assess the impact of this patent.
> <P>
> Bob Lamoureux
> mailto:blam@bridge.com
>
>
>
I think that this type of conversion is employed by many systems (and has been for years). A good example of it would be TradeRoute. Many other system do some type of FIX translation too. Especially sell side systems which take in orders from customers via FIX and send them via CMS to the exchanges.
Does anyone know the legalities of this patent? Is it enforceable? It doesn’t make sense that someone could be granted a patent on a process that has been developed for several years and widely used … but then again the law often doesn’t make sense.
> I need to spread the word far and wide so that all of us can give this matter immediate attention. It seems that on January 26, 1999, a gentleman from Toronto was granted a US patent that refers to and/or includes certain aspects of the FIX protocol. The patent number is 5,864,827 and can be retrieved at <BR>
> http://164.195.100.11/netahtml/srchnum.htm<BR>
> <P>
> It appears that this patent covers all forms of translations between the FIX protocol and just about any other protocol.
> <P>
> I fear this may have dire consequences for anyone who currently accepts FIX messages and translates them into another format, (even internal usage). This could be especially harmful to anyone in the business of providing FIX-to-??? engines.
> <P>
> Please download o copy of this patent and have your respective attorneys review it in order to assess the impact of this patent.
> <P>
> Bob Lamoureux
> mailto:blam@bridge.com
>
>
>
[ original email was from Martin Price - mprice2@lehman.com ]
The patent appears to be ‘limited’ to processes which convert FIX messages to exchange-specific formats (e.g. CMS). Although this may exclude broker systems which translate into a proprietary format for internal routing before converting again on the way out, I would think that vendors like Trinitech and GL (who provide exchange connectivity via a FIX interface) and middleware providers like Neon will be directly affected. Sell-side firms who have based their internal protocol on FIX will no doubt be examining the fine print closely too…
I have to agree with Brian though, this is a very common system component and if it really is patentable than what isn’t?
> I think that this type of conversion is employed by many systems (and has been for years). A good example of it would be TradeRoute. Many other system do some type of FIX translation too. Especially sell side systems which take in orders from customers via FIX and send them via CMS to the exchanges.
>
> Does anyone know the legalities of this patent? Is it enforceable? It doesn’t make sense that someone could be granted a patent on a process that has been developed for several years and widely used … but then again the law often doesn’t make sense.
>
>
> > I need to spread the word far and wide so that all of us can give this matter immediate attention. It seems that on January 26, 1999, a gentleman from Toronto was granted a US patent that refers to and/or includes certain aspects of the FIX protocol. The patent number is 5,864,827 and can be retrieved at <BR>
> > http://164.195.100.11/netahtml/srchnum.htm<BR>
> > <P>
> > It appears that this patent covers all forms of translations between the FIX protocol and just about any other protocol.
> > <P>
> > I fear this may have dire consequences for anyone who currently accepts FIX messages and translates them into another format, (even internal usage). This could be especially harmful to anyone in the business of providing FIX-to-??? engines.
> > <P>
> > Please download o copy of this patent and have your respective attorneys review it in order to assess the impact of this patent.
> > <P>
> > Bob Lamoureux
> > mailto:blam@bridge.com
> >
> >
> >
>
[ original email was from Kevin J Houstoun - 106333.2651@compuserve.com ]
My knowledge of patents is limited but is there not an obligation under US Patent law for the person seeking a patent to point out to the patent authorities any elements of his application that have already been ‘invented’ by others.
Secondly, and even if the above is not the case as in the UK, is it not the case that the patent is only granted because of a lack of objections and that even once granted if a valid objection is pointed out the patent will lapse.
If even only the second point is true this guy’s claim are limited to nuisance value.
Could someone check this with a tame lawyer.
Cheers
Kevin Houstoun
> The patent appears to be ‘limited’ to processes which convert FIX messages to exchange-specific formats (e.g. CMS). Although this may exclude broker systems which translate into a proprietary format for internal routing before converting again on the way out, I would think that vendors like Trinitech and GL (who provide exchange connectivity via a FIX interface) and middleware providers like Neon will be directly affected. Sell-side firms who have based their internal protocol on FIX will no doubt be examining the fine print closely too…
> I have to agree with Brian though, this is a very common system component and if it really is patentable than what isn’t?
> > I think that this type of conversion is employed by many systems (and has been for years). A good example of it would be TradeRoute. Many other system do some type of FIX translation too. Especially sell side systems which take in orders from customers via FIX and send them via CMS to the exchanges.
> >
> > Does anyone know the legalities of this patent? Is it enforceable? It doesn’t make sense that someone could be granted a patent on a process that has been developed for several years and widely used … but then again the law often doesn’t make sense.
> >
> >
> > > I need to spread the word far and wide so that all of us can give this matter immediate attention. It seems that on January 26, 1999, a gentleman from Toronto was granted a US patent that refers to and/or includes certain aspects of the FIX protocol. The patent number is 5,864,827 and can be retrieved at <BR>
> > > http://164.195.100.11/netahtml/srchnum.htm<BR>
> > > <P>
> > > It appears that this patent covers all forms of translations between the FIX protocol and just about any other protocol.
> > > <P>
> > > I fear this may have dire consequences for anyone who currently accepts FIX messages and translates them into another format, (even internal usage). This could be especially harmful to anyone in the business of providing FIX-to-??? engines.
> > > <P>
> > > Please download o copy of this patent and have your respective attorneys review it in order to assess the impact of this patent.
> > > <P>
> > > Bob Lamoureux
> > > mailto:blam@bridge.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
[ original email was from Mike Cormack - mike_cormack@americancentury.com ]
The US FIX Steering Committee is currently reviewing the issues surrounding the patent protection of FIX and will discuss this issue at our general meeting on Thursday. We welcome any expertise in this matter from the FIX community and will update the community on our strategies going forward as soon as we can. We take this matter seriously and will do everything we can to ensure FIX remains open.
> I need to spread the word far and wide so that all of us can give this matter immediate attention. It seems that on January 26, 1999, a gentleman from Toronto was granted a US patent that refers to and/or includes certain aspects of the FIX protocol. The patent number is 5,864,827 and can be retrieved at <BR>
> http://164.195.100.11/netahtml/srchnum.htm<BR>
> <P>
> It appears that this patent covers all forms of translations between the FIX protocol and just about any other protocol.
> <P>
> I fear this may have dire consequences for anyone who currently accepts FIX messages and translates them into another format, (even internal usage). This could be especially harmful to anyone in the business of providing FIX-to-??? engines.
> <P>
> Please download o copy of this patent and have your respective attorneys review it in order to assess the impact of this patent.
> <P>
> Bob Lamoureux
> mailto:blam@bridge.com
>
>
>
Given that this issue was raised in March, has there been any progress or conclusion from this investigation?
> The US FIX Steering Committee is currently reviewing the issues surrounding the patent protection of FIX and will discuss this issue at our general meeting on Thursday. We welcome any expertise in this matter from the FIX community and will update the community on our strategies going forward as soon as we can. We take this matter seriously and will do everything we can to ensure FIX remains open.
>
>
>
> > I need to spread the word far and wide so that all of us can give this matter immediate attention. It seems that on January 26, 1999, a gentleman from Toronto was granted a US patent that refers to and/or includes certain aspects of the FIX protocol. The patent number is 5,864,827 and can be retrieved at <BR>
> > http://164.195.100.11/netahtml/srchnum.htm<BR>
> > <P>
> > It appears that this patent covers all forms of translations between the FIX protocol and just about any other protocol.
> > <P>
> > I fear this may have dire consequences for anyone who currently accepts FIX messages and translates them into another format, (even internal usage). This could be especially harmful to anyone in the business of providing FIX-to-??? engines.
> > <P>
> > Please download o copy of this patent and have your respective attorneys review it in order to assess the impact of this patent.
> > <P>
> > Bob Lamoureux
> > mailto:blam@bridge.com
> >
> >
> >
>