Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!dlyons
From: dlyons@Apple.COM (David A. Lyons)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: dislike of business practices
Message-ID: <52577@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 8 May 91 03:01:00 GMT
References: <3462@kluge.fiu.edu> <1991Apr30.200441.27282@mthvax.cs.miami.edu> <3507@kluge.fiu.edu>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA
Lines: 37

In article <3507@kluge.fiu.edu> acmfiu@serss0.fiu.edu (ACMFIU) writes:
>[...]
>moreover, i don't care about people putting me in their kill file. that is
>their problem, not mine. i won't even begin to get into analogies here. follow
>up by email if appropriate.
>
>i believe that silence is agreement. until someone proves otherwise, i will
>continue to think this way.
>
>albert chin

In my case, silence is not always agreement.  I don't use kill files, but
I frequently start ignoring whole topics.  If disagreement required continued
posting, the net would degenerate (even further) into an endless stream of
rebuttals.

Anyway, here's my take on copyrighting user interfaces:

(1) The engineer/scientist/researcher in me would rather have all
    ideas in the public domain, freely usable by everyone.

(2) Copyright law was not written by scientists.  As long as stuff
    like GUIs *is* copyrightable at some level, we can expect
    most companies to protect their investment to whatever degree
    the legal system lets them.

(3) You wondered what Steve Wozniak thought about copyrighting
    GUIs *as an Apple stockholder*.  I haven't asked him, but
    *as a stockholder* I assume he's in favor of it.

-- 
David A. Lyons, Apple Computer, Inc.      |   DAL Systems
Apple II System Software Engineer         |   P.O. Box 875
America Online: Dave Lyons                |   Cupertino, CA 95015-0875
GEnie:DAVE.LYONS  CompuServe:72177,3233 Internet:dlyons@apple.com

My opinions are my own, not Apple's.