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From: herbw@midas.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: environment's inventors
Message-ID: <1830@midas.TEK.COM>
Date: Tue, 1-Sep-87 15:35:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: midas.1830
Posted: Tue Sep  1 15:35:02 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 3-Sep-87 04:45:02 EDT
References: <1987Aug28.123711.18714@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu>
Reply-To: herbw@midas.UUCP (Herb Weiner)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 20
Keywords: mouse window xerox
Summary: Apple *DID* Invent *pulldown* menus

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In Article <1987Aug28.123711.18714@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu>,
gbs@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Gideon Sheps) writes:
 
> Apple did NOT invent the mouse, the window or anything else intrinsic
> to the MacIntosh (or Amiga or MS-Windows) environment, they couldn't
> successfully sue anyone for anything. Lawyers looking for a client
> are refered to Xerox and the origional Smalltalk prototype systems that
> goes back , what is it ? almost 10 years now?

Apple was issued Patent Number 4,464,652 on August 7, 1984.  This Patent
describes the use of Pull Down Menus, which make a one button mouse practical.
The original Xerox and Smalltalk work used a three button mouse.  In an
effort to avoid a religious war, let's not discuss the merits of one vs three
button mice.  Apple did successfully sue (if an out of court settlement
which included an agreement to modify the product can be considered "successful")
the producers of Gem Desktop (??) for the IBM PC, and they agreed to modify
the product to avoid infringing the patent, including recalling units that had
already been sold.