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From: neff@hp-vcd.HP.COM (Dave Neff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: New Driver (2.1) for HP's DeskWriter
Message-ID: <1170015@hp-vcd.HP.COM>
Date: 20 Feb 91 17:25:49 GMT
References: <1991Feb17.165940.24784@usenet.ins.cwru.edu>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Vancouver, WA
Lines: 27

Regarding DeskWriter drivers on BBS and ftp sites:

I have talked to various people in support and marketting about making
the latest DeskWriter driver available on one of our open subnet ftp
systems, but nobody is willing to take responsibility for the issue
and willing to say its O.K. (probably partly due to the fact most
of the marketting and support people don't have a clue as to what ftp
even is).  The main concern is that someone will put a virus infected
copy of a DeskWriter driver on some public forum which would lead to
a publicity nightmare.  I did get permission for our own internal HP
MAC users to distribute the driver on one of our HP closed subnet ftp
sites, but that doesn't help most of you :-(.

The one fact I have confirmed, is that HP does not care if you copy and
distribute the DeskWriter driver to others who have a DeskWriter.  There
are no restrictions or royalties involved with the driver.  The outline
fonts, however, are a different matter and they must not be copied or
distributed (this applies both to the fonts that come with the driver
as well as the optional fonts).  I don't believe anyone from HP would
bother someone if they posted the latest version of the driver to
comp.binaries.mac, but I am in no position to officially "bless" the
action (otherwise I would just post it myself).  However if someone 
posted a modified driver (especially a virus infected river), then
HP would start to be very concerned.

Dave Neff
neff@hpvcfs1.HP.COM