Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ucsd!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hp-pcd!uoregon!dboyes
From: dboyes@uoregon.UUCP (David Boyes)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Is it safe to write for OS/2 Presentation Manager
Message-ID: <1764@uoregon.UUCP>
Date: 2 Apr 88 04:50:59 GMT
References: <17374@glacier.STANFORD.EDU>
Reply-To: dboyes@drizzle.UUCP (David Boyes)
Organization: University of Oregon, Computer Science, Eugene OR
Lines: 29
Keywords: Apple interface, lawsuit

In article <17374@glacier.STANFORD.EDU> jbn@glacier.STANFORD.EDU (John B. Nagle) writes:
>      Given that Apple is now suing HP and Microsoft for copying the
>Apple user interface, is it legal to write applications for OS/2's
>Presentation Manager?  Will Apple be going after developers who use
>it?  Will IBM or Microsoft defend users of their product?  Has anyone
>looked into the legal issues on this?  It could be very risky to bring
>a Presentation Manager based product to market until this is cleared up.
>				John Nagle

Windows isn't *that* close to the Apple environment. I think they're
way off base in this one. I could see it as a really cheap marketing
ploy -- after all, if no one writes applications for OS/2, OS/2 fails
and they sell more of their machines.

Personally, I hope Apple (and the rest of the look-and-feel lot) get
royally stomped on this one. If they want to whine about
look-and-feel, I think they owe the folks at Xerox a whole lot of
money and an apology.

Actually, I've always wondered why Xerox hasn't come down on the whole
gang of people using their research without really giving them credit
for all the work that they did. Anybody at Xerox know?



-- 
David Boyes         | ARPA: 556%OREGON1.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Systems Division    | BITNET: 556@OREGON1
UO Computing Center | UUCP: dboyes@uoregon.UUCP
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