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From: folta@tove.cs.umd.edu (Wayne Folta)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Apple Computer wins ruling against 'Windows'
Message-ID: <31510@mimsy.umd.edu>
Date: 15 Mar 91 17:24:46 GMT
References: <46873@nigel.ee.udel.edu> <1991Mar15.101202.1@csc.anu.edu.au> <27E02D24.699@orion.oac.uci.edu>
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Reply-To: folta@tove.cs.umd.edu (Wayne Folta)
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Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742
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>Oh, please.  Surely you realize that Apple lifted the interface from Xerox??

As I understand it, the dual claims that Microsoft was making:           

   1. Whatever Microsoft stole was covered by an agreement with Apple in 1985.
   2. That Apple didn't have any legal standing anyhow, since they stole
      their ideas from XEROX.

were both disallowed in this latest ruling. I think I read in the Wall Street
Journal that the judge had specifically said that Apple's ideas were unique  
and were created independently of XEROX. The fact that XEROX lost its suit   
while Apple's is allowed to go ahead says something. (Though one of XEROX's
problems was waiting too long to file suit. Also, I believe that I read that
the things that Apple directly borrowed are covered under a secret agreement
with XEROX.)

On another topic, Microsoft is now in hot water with the government over
allegations that it unfairly used its ownership of DOS and Windows to
sandbag competitors in the applications arena. It has been alleged that
MS talked others into developing for OS/2, while it developed for
Windows, knowing full well that it would sacrifice OS/2.

MS has more than one legal problem to worry about! I have also read that once
the government starts mucking around in MS's internal memos, it can find and
prosecute for things that have nothing to do with its initial investigation.
It seems that the proverbial 500-lb gorilla (MS) has to tussle with a
400-lb gorilla (Apple) and a 2000-lb gorilla (the FTC).
--


Wayne Folta          (folta@cs.umd.edu  128.8.128.8)