Ok let me simplify my situation a little bit..I am using a 24LC32 serial eeprom from microchip.  Now, isnt that an I2C 2wire bus device?  If so, the code I am using to read and write to the eeprom I of course have written myself, I am using a 16F84, so i would not have to obtain a license to distribute my product correct?

Now if the 24LC32 is not an I2C device they coulda fooled me.  In that case phillips dont exist in this ; )  and how does one get away with that?  By calling it a serial eeprom instead of an I2C eeprom or some kind of legal trickery.  Like Vanella Ice claiming he had 1 more beat added in his song, so technically he did not steal the Queen song..im sure.

Rob

On Sun, 26 Mar 2000 11:09:08 -0500 Spehro Pefhany <speff@INTERLOG.COM> wrote:
>At 04:18 PM 3/26/00 +0100, you wrote:
>>My reaction would be that it is up to them to prove the devices are using
>I2C.
>>If there are known I2C devices in the circuit such as eeproms, then by using
>>them I have bought the implied license, even if interfaced to a
>\"non-licensed\"
>>device such as a PIC, where I have written a bit-banging program to do the
>>interface. If there are no known I2C devices in the circuit, the protocol
>is my
>>trade secret, until they can prove I have based it on I2C.
>
>In practical terms, it probably means that you shouldn\'t advertise your
>device as being I2C unless it\'s licensed as such from Philips.
>
>So, if you use a _PIC_ to make a module that has an I2C interface, you
>might be taking a risk advertising it as I2C (assuming Microchip is *not*
>paying royalties to Philips), \"2-wire\" might be more prudent.
>
>BTW, does anyone know if there is an official logo or graphic image
>for products that the I2C standard?
>
>Best regards,
>
>
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>Spehro Pefhany                                    \"The Journey is the reward\"
>speff@interlog.com
>Fax:(905) 271-9838                      (small micro system devt hw/sw + mfg)
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>

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