Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site harvard.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!winkler From: winkler@harvard.ARPA (Dan Winkler) Newsgroups: net.micro.mac Subject: Re: mac-compatible design technique Message-ID: <185@harvard.ARPA> Date: Fri, 7-Dec-84 01:30:03 EST Article-I.D.: harvard.185 Posted: Fri Dec 7 01:30:03 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 8-Dec-84 07:07:28 EST Distribution: net Organization: Aiken Computation Laboratory, Harvard Lines: 16 References: <1964@nsc.UUCP> > ...got caught (the programmers initials were > hidden in a documented but not obvious position-- interesting proof). The > mac roms are proprietary and I'm sure that they are covered by copyright, > at least. Any Mac compatible that attempts to use them without licensing > the technology from apple will find themselves in deep trouble, and Apple > will be more than happy to jump on them (justifiably so-- the development > costs in those rams are enormous). An Apple employee who worked on the Mac project told us that the Mac ROM actually has a theft protection device built in. We couldn't get any details, but the idea was that if you copy the Mac ROM, Apple will be able to take your machine into court and make the ROM do something dramatic and unexpected to demonstrate that they understand it much better than you do. Maybe it prints out "Help! I'm Stolen!" or something like that.