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From: socha@drivax.UUCP (Henri J. Socha (x6251))
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: environment's inventors
Message-ID: <2327@drivax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 4-Sep-87 13:06:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: drivax.2327
Posted: Fri Sep  4 13:06:15 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 6-Sep-87 03:25:53 EDT
References: <1987Aug28.123711.18714@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu> <1830@midas.TEK.COM>
Reply-To: socha@drivax.UUCP (Henri J. Socha (x6251))
Organization: Digital Research, Monterey, CA
Lines: 36
Keywords: mouse window xerox Digital Research

In article <1830@midas.TEK.COM> herbw@midas.UUCP (Herb Weiner) writes:
>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

>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.

>  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.

FYI, yes it is called GEM Desktop (the finder equivalent) written by
employees at Digital Research Inc. of CP/M fame.  
There was more in the suit including "an undisclosed amount of money" but
word around here says that this was token, just some PR amount.
There are GEM Applications: Graph, Draw Plus, Publisher, "Scanner", etc.

Interestingly, Regis McKenna the PR man was on the board of both companies.
Also, Atari was not sued and I think still uses the desktop Apple did not like.
----
Disclaimer:  
    I don't speak for my employer.  All comments are my own and may be
	utterly fictitious though I try to be as factual as possible.
    Yes, I am employed by DRI but in this instance only allows me
	to know some of what was going on from both sides.
	(Like my Datapoint first "PC" and LAN knowledge.)
    Yes, I do own and like my Mac (SE-20) and would rather not get into a 
	discussion about the relative merits.  
(So no FLAMES and don't type 'f' I was just really trying to answer a ???.)
-- 
UUCP:...!amdahl!drivax!socha                                      WAT Iron'75
"Everything should be made as simple as possible but not simpler."  A. Einstein