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From: philip@pescadero.stanford.edu (Philip Machanick)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Apple's Licence
Message-ID: <1991Apr28.030649.25860@neon.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 28 Apr 91 03:06:49 GMT
Sender: news@neon.Stanford.EDU (USENET News System)
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University
Lines: 21

All this talk about paying for System 7 and what Apple's software licence
really says lead me to digging out my own copy (for System 6.0.7). At the top
in capitals is proclaimed:

  IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS LICENCE, PROMPTLY RETURN THE
  UNUSED SOFTWARE TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU OBTAINED IT AND YOUR MONEY WILL
  BE REFUNDED.

What a nice deal. I wish I had seen this earlier. My copy of the system
software was bundled with a Mac, for which I paid $1500. No mention was made of
a separate charge for the software. As I read this, I can take the software
back and keep the hardware, and I'll get my full $1500 back, as long as I don't
agree with the terms of the licence.

What can I do with a Mac without a system software licence? Why, sell it to
someone who is prepared to shell out $50 (or whatever) for a copy of the
software from a dealer, of course.

Everyone says what smart lawyers Apple has. I didn't really believe it before.

Philip Machanick