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From: thp@westhawk.UUCP ("Timothy H Panton.")
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x.announce
Subject: Re: The real OpenWindows source announcement
Message-ID: <9011190921.AA02562@westhawk.uucp>
Date: 19 Nov 90 09:21:19 GMT
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Peter Korp <korp@atlantis.ees.anl.gov> writes:
> In attempting to make OpenWindows
> freely available Sun had to negotiate with AT&T. Apparently some AT&T code
> exists in OW 2.0 or own some rights to it. Therefore, the best deal(?) Sun
> could come up with was to charge a rather large one time fee

Yup, that sounds right, it has the smell of the dead hand of AT+T's lawyers
all over it. (calm down Tim ...)

The code in question must be the OLIT widget set, AT+T have been selling source 
licences for $1000 for some while (we have one), like motif.

There would seem to be 3 possible reasons for AT+T's behaviour.
	a) They think they can make more money by charging for Xt+ (AkA OLIT).
I very much doubt this, particularly as a strong counter to OSF's success with 
motif would be commecially useful (I guess).
	b) They are embarrased to have charged people like me $1k only to give
the software away for free later on. If this is the case please listen:
I DONT CARE ABOUT THE LOUSY $1000! I'd rather be working in a bigger market.
I wouldn't want people to think that I am happy to give 1k to just anyone ;-)
	c) The indemnity against look and feel suits that comes with an Xt+
(OpenLook) licence costs money to back-up .
(Seriously,  I have a bit of paper that says that AT+T indemnifies Westhawk
against Look and Feel suits, under certain (reasonable) conditions.)
Surely the software can be separated from the legal protection.

In summary I like OpenLook, and I would like to see it do well, but I fear
there are people in AT+T who are not prepared to make the moves that are 
needed to make this happen. Perhaps this can be sorted out before the January
release date.

PS. Re-reading this I realize that it is all based on a guess. If Peter Korp
and I are wrong, I'm sorry.

Oh well, back to the Motif work.
Tim
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Tim Panton, Westhawk Ltd.    "Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for  |
|Phone: +44 928722574         	   they are subtle and quick to anger."      |
|Email: thp%westhawk.uucp@ukc.ac.uk       The Lord of the Rings.             |
|Paper: Westhawk Ltd. 26 Rydal Grove, Helsby, Cheshire, WA6 OET. UK.         |
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