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From: whit@milton.u.washington.edu (John Whitmore)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: New Macintosh Strategy
Summary: Apple licenses its system software for cheap.
Message-ID: <10524@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 3 Nov 90 03:47:49 GMT
References: <1990Oct30.231000.2343@midway.uchicago.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Lines: 39

In article <1990Oct30.231000.2343@midway.uchicago.edu> gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu writes:
>
>    [responding to previous post]
>>There are several companies working on clean room versions of Mac ROMs.
>>This is the same approach used to clone IBM PC's.  I won't go into
>>details but, IT IS legal to write compatible ROM code and OS as long
>>as you follow certain guidelines.
>
>It certainly is legal and possible to write clean room versions of Mac ROMs
>(though I wonder how they'll implement Apple-patented code such as regions). 
>But the operative word there is "clean room": they will have to prove that they
>had NO knowledge of Apple's methods.  Tricky.  

	That's not true.  The burden of proof, should Apple bring suit,
is on Apple.  Given the large body of common knowledge regarding most
of the GUI features that are Apple's stock in trade, this will be
difficult to prove (and Apple will probably try to fight such a battle
as a delaying tactic, if at all).

>And remember: people are mainly
>working on 128k ROM clones.  And then will come 256k ROMs.  But Apple's already
>up to 512k.  Many many years 'til any cloners catch up.  And remember: they'll
>have to clone the OS too: it's illegal for Apple Mac OS software to run on
>non-Apple machines.

	Huh?  Why?  I never signed any agreement to keep my copy of the OS
off other machines.  Did you?  Apple licenses software companies to distribute
the latest versions of their system software, for a nominal fee (like
$50 per year); ANY AND ALL such distributed software can be used freely
by the recipients.  Any restrictions on the use that you may have in mind
would be established only by some pre-existing contract WITH THE PURCHASER
of the software.  No such contract exists.
	Remember, it's a free country.  'Illegal' has meaning far
beyond 'Apple won't like it'; if Apple wants to control System 7, they
might come up with a new scheme when they make it available; if they
want to forbid its use on other folks' machines, they can make signature
on a contract a condition of purchase.  They haven't yet.

		John Whitmore