🚀 go-pugleaf

A while ago a came across a two year old article from a Dutch computer
magazine.  According to this article a group called "the New Prometheus
League" stole the source code from the Apple Macintosh OS and sent it to
software developers and computer magazines. The NPL claimed to do this
so Macintosh clones can be made. Apple was said to take "maximal legal
steps" against the theft.

The article is dated June 23th, 1989. I have never heard anything else
about either the NPL or this theft. So I'm asking here if anyone knows
what actually happened and how it all ended. I would really like to know
the details. The magazine isn't really a reliable source - it's aimed at
the 'management types' in commercial dataprocessing, and its knowledge of
computing technology is generally limited to vendor announcements. I have
seen articles in which where very negative and very misinformed about the
FSF and LPF.

Having this strange article wandering around in my deranged mind for some
time I have come up with my personal paranoia theory. I suspect it's all
a setup by Apple! Please note that I have ABSOLUTELY NO evidence for
this. It is just a theory, probably incorrect, and yes, I am afraid of
Apple laywers. Now what makes me think this?

In the first place, the whole thing doesn't make sense. The source (and
object) code of the Macintosh OS is copyrighted by Apple. Using it, or
parts of it, without permission by Apple is illegal. Stealing it is
therefore useless. You cannot use it to make Macintosh clones.

The only one who benefits from this is Apple. The whole thing will throw
suspicion at:
 - Everyone who will ever make a Macintosh clone. Can they ever prove not
   having used the stolen source code? Can they do that before they go
   broke on Apple lawsuits? What if, by accident, some part of their code
   shows great similarity to Apple's code?
 - Any organization which opposes Apple copyrights and patents,
   especially if their name is a three letter acronym of which the L
   stands for "League".

At the same time, it will get Apple free publicity. It even suggests
that there something so very special about the Macintosh OS that people
even try to steal it. A quote form the NPL appearing in the article:

(Note that this quote is not literal. Like any other quote I use it is
heavily mangled by translation from English to Dutch and back!!!)

  As an organization the ambition of the NPL is only to let the whole
  world profit from the unique knowledge of a few Apple employees ....
  ... and not to let this knowledge get wasted by Apple by means of
  lawsuits and dictating its will"

Sounds like a Apple commercial doesn't it? And, as the article does
indeed mention, Prometheus stole fire from the *gods* and gave it to the
mere humans.

------------
Sander Plomp
(A paranoid PhD student)
sander@cwi.nl
fidonet: 2:283/500.4

"Just because you're paranoid it doesn't mean they are not after you"

                              Strata, by Terry Pratchet