Xref: utzoo news.misc:3220 news.sysadmin:2498 comp.sys.mac:33623 comp.sys.mac.programmer:7050 Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!ames!dlb!zygot!john From: john@zygot.UUCP (John Higdon) Newsgroups: news.misc,news.sysadmin,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.mac.programmer Subject: Re: Official Legal Announcement regarding Apple's Source Code Summary: Suppressing competition or just not giving away the store? Keywords: legal stuff Message-ID: <1200@zygot.UUCP> Date: 19 Jun 89 04:02:52 GMT References: <2073@astroatc.UUCP> <2928@csd4.milw.wisc.edu> <841@hydra.gatech.EDU> <736@rwing.UUCP> Organization: ATI Wares Team Lines: 56 In article <736@rwing.UUCP>, pat@rwing.UUCP (Pat Myrto) writes: > Reason I'm adding my 2 cents worth - is that at least with myself, > Apple is doing their overall reputation no good at all with this sort > of conduct - using the courts to surpress competition from makers that > may be less well-heeled, but turn out a product that is equal to or > better than the original in terms of performance, and at a lower > price. It appears to me that Apple would rather not have others > engage in a free market, instead they want to keep a lock on the > market for themselves. This would mean they have to spend less on > R&D, be less concerned about product improvements, customer support, > the whole ball of wax. And they are then free to charge whatever they > want, since there would be no similar products available for less > money. Are you advocating a free market, or a free-for-all market in which anyone of free to steal the work of another avoid all those nasty R&D costs, add a few enhancements and sell the whole package for less than the originator does? Since when is Apple keeping a lock on the market? Anyone, anywhere, at anytime is perfectly free to invent, develop, produce and market at a lower price a product superior to the Macintosh. Are you annoyed that no one has yet been able to do that without *stealing* critical secrets that go into the Mac? If all you had to do to come out with a Mac competitor was to take the technology (including imbedded code) that comprises the Apple product and add a couple of ideas of your own, then you are right: you certainly could sell it for less. But is that fair? > I really wonder if the founders of Apple would have done so well, if > the market climate when they started up was like the climate Apple is > now creating? By doing what? Protecting what is rightfully theirs? Or do you feel that all trade secrets should just be public domain and no one has a right, regardless of development cost, to make money with them? > As for myself, I plan to (and have) avoided Apple products like the > plague, and will continue to do so. I also express my feelings to any > clients - indicating that while the Apple products are no doubt well > built, and of good quality, I think supporting a company with their > attitude and way of doing business goes counter to everyone's best So you buy attitude, not product. Well, that's your right. And if you want to deprive yourself of that rare commodity in American business today (an excellent product) because its maker wants to protect its ability to continue to produce that product, by all means, do so. > interests in the long run. In short, I think Apple is doing a great > job of earning themselves a LOUSY reputation. And postings like the > recent legal threat only supports that reputation. Well, if you contributed as much to the net as Apple does and then had your livelihood splattered over that same net, I wonder if you would be so blase that you would just ignore the whole thing. -- John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.uucp | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !