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From: kent@circus.camex.com (Kent Borg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Re: ResEdit 2.*
Message-ID: <1464@camex.COM>
Date: 7 Aug 90 00:34:01 GMT
References: <1990Aug5.182816.13453@portia.Stanford.EDU>
Sender: news@Camex.COM
Reply-To: kent@camex.com (Kent Borg)
Organization: Camex Inc., Boston, MA
Lines: 90

In article <1990Aug5.182816.13453@portia.Stanford.EDU> draphsor@portia.Stanford.EDU (Matt Rollefson) writes:
>dwal@ellis.uchicago.edu (David Walton) writes:
>>draphsor@portia.stanford.edu writes:
>>>markt@wpi.wpi.edu (Mark Robert Tsombakos) writes:
>>>> Hello! Thanks to everyone who responded to my request for MultiFinder
>>>> 6.1b9.  Now I'm lookin for the new ResEdit 2.whatever.
...
>>ResEdit is _not_ free.  It is sold by APDA (not sure of the price), like any
>>of the tools in the MPW Suite.  Putting ResEdit up for anonymous FTP or
>>mailing to somebody would be just like putting up MPW or any of the
>>MPW compilers.  (I don't think the same is true of MultiFinder, however.)
>
>I hadn't realized this.  Thank you for clarifying this fact.  Please
>withdraw my request for ResEdit 2.*.
>
>As for MultiFinder, it being system software I'd imagine that it *is*
>free.  Anyone with any information to the contrary, please let me know.

Well, "free" isn't precise enough to be very meaningful.  For you, as
an individual, they are both rather "free".

In all cases Apple is *very* protective about their copyrights.  They
will make it very clear to anyone who asks that they own the system
software, they own ResEdit.

These programs are not public domain.

Apple distributes these (and other) programs very carefully to
preserve their clear ownership.  All organizations which want to
distribute them must first be licensed by Apple.  This is not very
expensive, but it must be done.

Apple does not seem to insist that individuals are subject to the same
restrictions on system software.  I have never heard of Apple getting
upset with an individual who casually gives someone a copy of ResEdit
or MultiFinder.  They have left this as foggy as their lawyers will
allow.  If we force them to answer officially, they will likely say
no, otherwise they seem to say "ok".  They really *want* us to have up
to date system software.

The point is to remember that there are three different categories of
Apple software:

  1) System Software, ResEdit, HyperCard upgrades etc.  These are
     designed to support the Macintosh, Apple pays for them by
     charging a lot for the computer itself.  Apple's primary concern
     in controlling distribution is to preserve control and copyright
     ownership.  If you look around you can find these for free.

  2) Commercial products.  These are AppleShare, MacTerminal,
     InterPol, etc.  These are not to be given away.  They are
     designed to be sold by Apple at a profit.  Apple wants to make
     money on these, you have to pay for them.

  3) Confidential software.  This *cannot* be distributed or bought.
     Obviously this is QuickDraw source code, etc.  Get caught with it
     and Apple will do their best to send you to jail.  This also
     includes super-secret copies of AppleMail or new QuickDraw seeded
     to only a couple developers, this
     includes much less secret beta copies of HyperCard 2.0, this
     includes still less secret copies of System 7.0 alpha.  None of
     these may be distributed outside of Apple's constraints.  Most of
     these cannot even be *talked* about.  (May System 7.0 alpha is a
     rare exception.)

There are foggy items: MultiFinder 6.1b9 and HyperCard for those who
bought their Macs before HyperCard was bundled.  6.1b9 is slightly in
group 3, but now it is on the developer CD, maybe ftp, etc.  Apple is
clearly only interested in keeping it from being so widespread that
people think it is released.  Another foggy item is HyperCard for
earlier Mac purchasers might be in category 3.  Apple might think they
should buy it.  I did.

So, if some individual offers to mail you a copy of ResEdit, don't
feel like a criminal when you accept it.  Apple wants techie-types to
have ResEdit.  Don't, however, go put it on your mail server without
an Apple license, and don't post it to the open net (Which has not
signed a license--who would you hand the pen to?), but go ahead an
crash your disk with it.

Clear?

(I do work for Apple.  I do not speak for Apple.  I post this from
what I have gleaned by watching Apple and reading MacLeak.  I have
violated no nondisclosure agreements in writing the above.  Please
correct me if I made any errors about QuickDraw and AppleMail.)
Kent Borg      internet: kent@camex.com    MacNet: kentborg      AOL: kent borg
                                            H:(617) 776-6899  W:(617) 426-3577
"Congress was about to scuttle our defense department ... Could our military 
industrial complex be backing Iraq?"  - my mother, 8-4-90