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From: malloy@nprdc.arpa (Sean Malloy)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Xerox sues Apple!!!
Message-ID: <5136@skinner.nprdc.arpa>
Date: 19 Dec 89 16:00:27 GMT
References: <4540@ur-cc.UUCP> <111700188@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: malloy@nprdc.arpa (Sean Malloy)
Organization: Navy Personnel R&D Center, San Diego
Lines: 27

In article <111700188@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> krb20699@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu writes:
>>One reason Xerox is sueing Apple now may be that Xerox was (fairly) recently
>>awarded patents on the Star operating environment.  Patent infringements are
>>usually more easily proven than copyright ones.
>
>     Wouldn't a recent patent be a bit worthless in court, considering when
>Apple created the Mac, it wan't infringing in a patent?  Why would the Mac
>interface be damaging Xerox _only_ after they get a patent?  I can see Apple
>loosing copyright rights (I'm no lawyer) but $150 million?  "Just a thought."

Are you aware of how _long_ it can take to get a patent issued? Have
you ever noticed little inscriptions on products that say "Patent
Pending"? Xerox recently received the patent; nothing I've seen on the
net has yet provided _any_ information about when the patent
application was _filed_. If Apple brought out the Mac and Lisa
_before_ the patent was filed, Xerox can't sue for patent
infringement. If the Mac and Lisa came out _after_ the patent
application was filed they are wide open for a suit, and since Apple has
admitted that they took inspiration from the Xerox Star interface,
they've shot themselves in the foot going into a patent infringement suit.


 Sean Malloy                                   | ". . . They always have an air
 Navy Personnel Research & Development Center  | of cheap melodrama about them."
 San Diego, CA 92152-6800                      | "You will find, my dear, that
 malloy@nprdc.navy.mil                         | _true_ melodrama _never_ comes
                                               | cheap."