Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site ssc-bee.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!ssc-bee!eve From: eve@ssc-bee.UUCP (Michael Eve) Newsgroups: net.micro.atari,net.micro.mac Subject: Re: DRI agrees to change GEM Message-ID: <385@ssc-bee.UUCP> Date: Thu, 3-Oct-85 15:24:30 EDT Article-I.D.: ssc-bee.385 Posted: Thu Oct 3 15:24:30 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 4-Oct-85 06:54:30 EDT References: <3208@nsc.UUCP> <87@druhi.UUCP> Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA Lines: 29 Xref: watmath net.micro.atari:1254 net.micro.mac:2827 > >... Apple has claimed that GEM copied > >"The look and feel" or its Macintosh software and violated Apple's > >copyright. GEM uses, among other things, windowns, drop-down menus, and > >icons that substantially resemble the Mac. > >:From under the bar at Callahan's: Chuq Von Rospach Actually, I believe Apple has applied for a patent on the pull-down window approach. I don't know if the patent has been granted, and, even if it is granted, that may not guarantee the patent would hold up in court. If DRI has agreed to change GEM, it was probably to avoid a costly court fight. Apple is cash rich, and DRI is not. If Apple succeeds here, how about all the other standalone programs which now use pull-down windows? How about regular menus ( a listing of current options, enter a number to select an option) --- I'd like to apply for the patent on that. On a related note, a company has a new word processor which automatically completes words as you enter them. (e.g, you type in 'comple' and the program adds 'te'). The company has applied for a patent on their revolutionary application of AI. -- Mike Eve Boeing Aerospace, Seattle ...uw-beaver!ssc-vax!ssc-bee!eve