Sort of ironic... (Score 1)

I was using the WayBackMachine and thought that it would be funny to go to bell.com since both SBC and Ameritech are Bell companies.

If you search for http://bell.com and click on the first result (Oct. 20, 1996) there is an image map at the bottom of the page that seems to be in violation. Near the top of the page there is a last updated date of 3/1/96. IANAL so I do not know if the proof has to be before 05/1995, but this is at least before the application date.

Also of interest may be http://uu.net from May 12, 1996 which has a last updated date of 5/10/96. At the bottom of nearly every page except the front page there is an image that links to their index page. I know that this one is kinda iffy, but where do we draw the line?

Another thing is that many companies tell their employees not to disclose anything until filing for the patent. So even if Ameritech was part of Bell, could they have accidentally disclosed it before filing?