Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!midway!news From: gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware Subject: Re: New Macintosh Strategy Message-ID: <1990Nov4.224736.4063@midway.uchicago.edu> Date: 4 Nov 90 23:43:02 GMT Sender: news@midway.uchicago.edu (News Administrator) Distribution: na Organization: University of Chicago Graduate School of Business Lines: 62 ------ In article <10524@milton.u.washington.edu>, whit@milton.u.washington.edu (John Whitmore) writes... >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 Interesting opinion. What legal precedents are you basing this on? >>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. I don't have any idea what you're talking about. The system software distributed with Macs is shrink-wrap licensed so that it can only be run on Macs. This is generally known. Is this legal? Probably. It could of course be overturned, but I think it is safe to assume that it may not be, since it's a valid licensing agreement as far as I can tell. I don't know what software companies you are talking about which distribute Apple system software. Whatever the case, it is unlikely that a 3rd party company can invalidate an Apple licensing agreement. Remember: even if you have purchased a 3rd party product and Apple software came with it, you have NOT purchased the Apple software, just licensed it. Check the fine print. Robert ============================================================================ = gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu * generic disclaimer: * "It's more fun to = = * all my opinions are * compute" = = * mine * -Kraftwerk = ============================================================================