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From: dhesi@rahul.net (Rahul Dhesi)
Subject: Re: UNIX trademark (was: Re: 4.4BSD Release)
Message-ID: <C9t4KA.Hs7@rahul.net>
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References: <JGREELY.93Jul6170732@morganucodon.cis.ohio-state.edu>> <MIB.93Jul6194230@geech.gnu.ai.m <C9rv16.F1q@rahul.net> <20273@smoke.brl.mil>
Date: Wed, 7 Jul 1993 18:26:34 GMT
Lines: 58
In <20273@smoke.brl.mil> gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn) responds to me
as follows:
>Saying so doesn't make it so.
>Products that are built to emulate UNIX but are not based on the
>licensed UNIX system software itself should be called "UNIX clones"
>or "UNIX look-alikes", not simply "UNIX" which is a trademark.
The last sentence in the paragraph that I posted was:
A little research will show you that the uses of UNIX as a generic
term far outnumber its uses to refer to a specific trade-marked
product.
I'm sure there is room to disagree about how the word UNIX *should be*
used (depending on how closely one is tied to USL). However, are you
also disagreeing about how the word 'UNIX' *is actually used*? It
appears to me that it has taken on a generic meaning that is far more
common than its uses as a trade-marked term. Some people may consider
it regrettable that this is the case, and may need some Aspirin (TM) to
relieve the headache this might cause them, but, as you say, "saying so
doesn't make it so".
Have you see the word 'Unices' used to refer to Unix in plural? When
you see a word used often in a plural form, you can be reasonably sure
that it is no longer being used as an adjective and, therefore, not
being used as a trade mark.
Here's a second opinion.
===== begin saved posting =====
Date: Wed, 07 Jul 1993 04:17:23 GMT
From: vlcek@epimbe.com (James C. Vlcek)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32,comp.unix.misc
Subject: Gates says Windows NT is a form of UNIX (TM)
>From the July 5, 1993 ComputerWorld (p 15):
Gates says Windows NT is a form of Unix
Windows NT came full circle last week - from snubbing to becoming Unix -
when Microsoft Corp. Chariman Bill Gates used his PC Expo address to
proclaim "Windows NT will be the most popular form of Unix ever."
Well, I guess imitation _is_ the sincerest form of flattery.
But be forewarned: that old argument - "NT isn't Unix" - isn't going
to wash any more when we UNIX weenies complain about one of the myriad
of things that have been left out of thes "most popular form of Unix
ever."
Jim Vlcek
vlcek@epimbe.com
===== end saved posting =====
--
Rahul Dhesi <dhesi@rahul.net>
also: dhesi@cirrus.com