Re: [exim] Question for old-timers: mailbox sorting

On Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 01:26:56AM +0800, W B Hacker said:
> Philip Hazel wrote:
>
> >I have been asked for evidence of when local part suffixes were first
> >used for sorting messages into different folders (for a patent issue).
>
> Restricted to internet and smtp?

Sendmail has had the "+" suffixes for what, nearly 20 years as part of
the standard config? It's definately in the OLD bat book.

Procmail has been around since 1990, and people where doing other things
to sort mail before then. I think prior art is VERY VERY well
established. Furthermore, any patent in that area wouldn't pass the
"obvious to a professional" smell test.

Integrating processing into the MTA is one of those obvious extensions
of existing tech.

On the other hand, if you write a patent app, it will most likely be
granted regardless due to the horribly broken patent system in the US.
Defending it in court is a whole different ballgame - especially to a
competitor with deep pockets.