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From: jmann@angmar.sw.stratus.com (Jim Mann)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Mac emulator
Message-ID: <2883@lectroid.sw.stratus.com>
Date: 29 Oct 90 18:11:17 GMT
References: <3701.2728707d@cc.helsinki.fi> <1990Oct27.192835.4652@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> <3713.272b0e5d@cc.helsinki.fi> <1990Oct29.164632.12639@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
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Reply-To: jmann@angmar.sw.stratus.com (Jim Mann)
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
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In article <1990Oct29.164632.12639@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>,
es1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Ethan Solomita) writes:
|>	Actually using the real version is illegal because
|>Apple's System Software License Agreement specifically forbids
|>running the Apple System on an emulator. This means that all
|>emulators of the Mac which don't re-write the system software
|>will be illegal.
|>	-- Ethan

I wonder if that part would hold up in court?  While it seems in line
with copyright laws for a company to be able to say "It is illegal for
you to copy this" it does not seem reasonable for them to be able to say
"And you may only use it on this hardware."  If I buy a Sears electric
screwdriver, they may be able to tell me I can't duplicate it and sell it,
but they can't tell me I can only use it on Sears screws. 

Part of the problem here is that we are on real hazy ground. Nobody who
made the
laws anticipated anything like software when they made them. In many cases,
the courts seem to work by analogy to existing things (books for instance).
However, I don't know that there is anything else at all like the 
software/hardware relationship out there.  
                         

Jim Mann
Stratus Computer
jmann@es.stratus.com