🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Nov15.182219.2730@news.cs.indiana.edu> "Haydn Huntley" <huntley@gable.cs.indiana.edu> writes:

>The reason I decided not to renew my membership is that I was turned
>off by the LPF's anti-Apple attitude.  I can understand boycotting an
>organization as a protest against what they are doing, but hasn't the
>threatening part of the Apple vs. Microsoft/Hewlett-Packard suit been
>resolved already?  Aren't there other companies which are doing things

No, it hasn't.  Apple has appealed the decision.  They could win as
surely in appeal as if they had won the first time.  Even if Apple
loses they may sue on the basis in whatever other look and feel they
feel they own.  The Newton technology for example.  The LPF wants Apple
to renounce look and feel copyrights not merely lose a lawsuit.

>November LPF posting, it mentioned that an IBM executive chaired the
>commission on software patents, and recommended that algorithm patents
>should be allowed, and enforced *world-wide*.  Isn't that pretty bad?

So far as I know, neither IBM nor Apple has sued anyone on algorithm
patents.  Apple may not own any algorithm patents at all.  IBM does own
one of the LZW patents (there are two, Unisys has the other).  I feel

I feel Apple IS the nasiest of all the look and feel companies.  They
sell at least three different operating systems, applications and are
also a big hardware company.  Although there are companies that are
merely in business to hold patents and sue,  Apple has enough income
from other sources to sue for the long term.  Apple doesn't use its
copyright to make money, rather it's used to make itself a monopoly,
which is much worse.  Apple's only licensee of its purported
intellectual property has been under suit for some years now.

Apple doesn't just want credit for inventing the user interface they
didn't develop, they also want to be the only company selling it.

>When the LPF treats all companies reasonably fairly, then I will be

Not just algorithm patents, the LPF is also against look and feel
patents.  Apple is the most powerful and egregarious user of look and
feel copyright.  Lotus Development is perhaps the next in line.
The LPF has picketed Lotus offices. 
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<-:(= Anthony Stieber	anthony@csd4.csd.uwm.edu   uwm!uwmcsd4!anthony