*BSD News Article 17876


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From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: 4.4BSD Release
Message-ID: <C9JsC0.I5B@zoo.toronto.edu>
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 1993 17:23:58 GMT
References: <20qdsj$6rt@agate.berkeley.edu> <20vmq1INNf3g@CS.UTK.EDU>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 21

In article <20vmq1INNf3g@CS.UTK.EDU> moore@cs.utk.edu writes:
>What I'd like to know is: are the non-AT&T portions of 4.4BSD marked
>in such a way as to distinguish them, and are 4.4BSD licensees
>restricted from redistributing those portions?

The portions that UCB *thinks* are non-AT&T are marked.  And there is
no prohibition on redistributing things that are non-AT&T.  But note the
difference in phrasing between those two sentences -- the whole lawsuit
turns on differences of opinion about what is proprietary and what isn't.

If you take UCB's word for it, you're in big trouble if the court decides
that their judgement was wrong.  If you decide for yourself what's clean
and what isn't, you're next in line for a lawsuit if UCB loses this one.
(These unpleasant outcomes now look unlikely, but can't be ruled out.)

And anyone who too-flagrantly proceeds on the assumption that the suit
will be decided the right way is a candidate for becoming a co-defendant,
which is troublesome and expensive even if the good guys eventually win.
-- 
Altruism is a fine motive, but if you   | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
want results, greed works much better.  |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry