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From: rms@AI.MIT.EDU
Newsgroups: gnu.emacs
Subject: Boycott Apple!
Message-ID: <8910111722.AA04488@sugar-bombs.ai.mit.edu>
Date: 11 Oct 89 17:22:59 GMT
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The GNU project is a project to make a free work-alike (GNU) for a
piece of proprietary software: Unix.  Although GNU Emacs is not an
imitation of part of Unix, it is part of this project.

Apple is trying to make work-alikes illegal, by suing others for
developing them.  This is called a "look and feel" suit.  Other
companies that are trying this include Lotus and Ashton-Tate.

You can do business as usual with them, and watch your freedom
disappear.  Or, you can fight to stop them.  If you want to see a wide
range of GNU software in the future, you should help fight them.  (If
you ever want to write a program compatible with an existing program,
you should help fight them.)

So join the Free Software Foundation in boycotting these companies.
Don't buy a Macintosh.  Don't develop software for the Macintosh.  (If
you already bought one, you could sell it to a non-programmer, so you
won't feel pressure to develop anything for it.)  Don't port existing
software (such as GNU Emacs) to the Macintosh.  Don't redistribute
software for the Macintosh.  Don't do anything that would make them
easier or more attractive to use--as every businessman knows, those
are the ways to promote sales.


Status note: Apple is likely to lose this suit, but for a reason which
is not particularly encouraging for us.  These particular defendants
had a previous license from Apple, and the judge ruled it covers most
of the disputed issue.  If Apple sues you or me, or if someone else
follows their lead and sues you or me, we can't expect to have this
way out.  We still have a fight on our hands.