Xref: utzoo misc.legal:4296 comp.sys.ibm.pc:13552 comp.sys.mac:14307 comp.sys.apple:4803
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!pyramid!nsc!csi!jwhitnel
From: jwhitnel@csi.UUCP (Jerry Whitnell)
Newsgroups: misc.legal,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Apple Challenges HP New Wave, MS-Windows, Potentially OS/2 PM
Message-ID: <1454@csib.csi.UUCP>
Date: 22 Mar 88 18:44:19 GMT
References: <5480@well.UUCP> <4092@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> <1719@pasteur.Berkeley.Edu>
Reply-To: jwhitnel@csib.UUCP (Jerry Whitnell)
Organization: Communications Solutions Inc., San Jose, Ca
Lines: 43
Keywords: Apple HP Microsoft Windows OS/2 New Wave Frivolous Litigation

In article <1719@pasteur.Berkeley.Edu> kolding@ji.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (Eric Koldinger) writes:
>My understanding of the suit is that Apple is not trying to stop other
>companies from using the windows and icons interface, but to keep them
>from designing ones that look too much like the Mac interface.  After
>all X-windows and SunTools are similar to the Mac interface, but not so
>much as to infringe on the "look-and-feel" of Apple.

Eric is correct here.  Anyone who wants to understand what the suit is really
about should first read the complaint (which some posted to comp.sys.ibm.pc)
and then get ahold of the March 22, 1988 issue of MacintoshToday.  On the
front page is a pair of pictures, one of the Apple Macintosh DeskTop, the
other is of NewWave by HP running under Microsoft Windows.  One can see
from the pictures that New Wave is derived from Apple's Finder.  Some
obvious  ripoffs are the icons used for directories (file folders with
tags), documents (a page with the corner folded) and the notorious trash
can (called a Waste Basket in New Wave, but it even has the same lid that
Apple's trash can does).  This is essentialy the same reason that Apple
went after DRI and why you won't see Apple going after Sun or other
window system vendors.
>
>Actually, the suit wouldn't affect Windows, since Microsoft licensed the
>"look-and-feel" from Apple.

Actually Apple claims it gave Microsoft a limite license on an earlier
version of Windows, but not for Windows 2.03 or Windows 386.  Hence
it could affect Microsft.

>Apple claims now that some of the new Windows
>oriented programs go overboard on how closely they look like the Mac.
>More interesting though is what effect this suit would have on the OS/2
>Presentation Manager.  If IBM/Microsoft is held back from releasing that,
>Apple will effectively kill (or at least seriously cripple) OS/2, effectively
>giving them a huge lock on portions of the business market.

I imagine IBM will play it smart and get a license from Apple if at all
possible.  Apple can't keep IBM out but it can work to keep the PM from
having anything similar to Apple's interface.

>						Eric


Jerry Whitnell				Been through Hell?
Communication Solutions, Inc.		What did you bring back for me?
						- A. Brilliant