Path: utzoo!dptcdc!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uflorida!haven!umd5!feldman
From: feldman@umd5.umd.edu (Mark Feldman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Bitmaps to non-NeXT printers (was Re: Some Random NeXT Thoughts)
Keywords: NeXT Speculation Cost Future Marketing
Message-ID: <4719@umd5.umd.edu>
Date: 18 Apr 89 13:20:53 GMT
References: <12017@ut-emx.UUCP> <1578@neoucom.UUCP> <8473@polya.Stanford.EDU> <4707@umd5.umd.edu> <23241@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: feldman@umd5.umd.edu (Mark Feldman)
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Lines: 66

In article <23241@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> izumi@violet.berkeley.edu (Izumi Ohzawa) writes:
>In article <4707@umd5.umd.edu> feldman@umd5.umd.edu (Mark Feldman) writes:
>>Exporting PostScript generated on the NeXT to other NeXTs (that's how remote
>>printing is done), non-NeXTs, and non-NeXT printers is kosher, but doing the
>>same with the bitmaps generated by DPS on the NeXT is not.
>>
>>Here is an excerpt from the ``NeXT Software License Agreement (Preliminary
>>Software Releases)'' contained in the ``Read this first!'' booklet that
>>comes with the NeXT:
>>	...
>>	You agree not to make use of the NeXT Preliminary Software, directly
>>	or indirectly, to print bitmap images generated by the NeXT
>>	Preliminary Software, or to generate fonts or typefaces, other than
>>	on a single NeXT Computer in conjunction with a single NeXT computer.
>
>I don't see anything in this excerpt which prevents us from
>transmitting bitmaps generated by DSP to elsewhere for viewing or
>printing.  Are you sure of your interpretation?

The above excerpt is preceded in the license agreement by:

	The NeXT Preliminary Software is intended to be used to generate
	screen displays with resolutions of 92 dots per inch on the NeXT
	Computer and to print images with print resolution up to 400 dots
	per inch on the NeXT printer.
	...

That complete excerpt (an oxymoron?), combined with the fact that the NeXT
people at the support class that I attended explicitly stated that the
DPS-produced bitmaps are off-limits makes me pretty sure of my
interpretation.

And as long as there is any question, I am going to stick with my
interpretation to make sure that I don't break the license agreement.

Make my day -- PROVE me wrong.

>I hope you don't see anything wrong with photocopying NeXT generated
>page in thousands, and distributing them to other people.

That (the wording) wasn't necessary.  If anyone is not satisfied with my
interpretation, ask your legal staff, or, better yet, ask the NeXT legal
staff. 

A NeXT can interpret PostScript and display it on the screen or on a
printer.  It can also shove PostScript to other computers and printers.
Once something has been printed or displayed, that output is subject to the
copyright and license agreements of the program that produced it.  If
neither that program's license nor copyright laws forbid it, you can make as
many copies of that output as you like -- send me a few copies if it is
interesting.  While it is in the bitmap form generated by DPS, it is
protected by the license agreement.  

>How is that differerent from transmitting bitmaps to the same people?

The difference is in the license agreement.  When you break the seal on 0.8
software, you are agreeing to abide by the license agreement, even if some
of the clauses appear arbitrary or nonsensical.

Besides, in most cases, the original, unencumbered PostScript is smaller
than the resulting bitmap and is more easily transported.

>Izumi Ohzawa
>izumi@violet.berkeley.edu

	Mark