*BSD News Article 3069


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From: kandall@nsg.sgi.com (Michael Kandall)
Newsgroups: alt.suit.att-bsdi,comp.unix.bsd
Subject: Re: UNIGRAM's article on the USL-BSDI suit
Message-ID: <KANDALL.92Aug5143839@globalize.nsg.sgi.com>
Date: 5 Aug 92 19:38:39 GMT
References: <1992Aug3.143259.23897@crd.ge.com> <7045@skye.ed.ac.uk>
	<KANDALL.92Aug4161214@globalize.nsg.sgi.com>
	<15lc26INNlpq@agate.berkeley.edu>
Sender: news@nsg.sgi.com (Net News)
Organization: Nihon Silicon Graphics, Japan
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In-Reply-To: gwh@soda.berkeley.edu's message of 4 Aug 92 07: 36:38 GMT

>>>>> On 4 Aug 92 07:36:38 GMT, gwh@soda.berkeley.edu (George William Herbert) said:
}> What?
}> I understand some parts of how UNIX internals work.
}> I have not, to my knowledge, looked at encumbered code.
}> Rather, I've read articles and books and talked to people
}> about how it works.  Every little detail of the UNIX operating
}> system has been disected time and time again in journals,
}> books, and online and offline discussions.

Fortunately or unfortunately, in order to create a successful software
system, one must reveal as much as possible about one's product.  The
more people know about your implementation, the better they can use
it, and the more successful the product will become.  If nobody knew
anything about how UNIX works, it would not have much of a chance of
being a commercial success.  

}> If that knowledge, gained without reading AT&T's proprietary
}> code, is then used to recreate part of UNIX, is it violating their
}> copyright?  That's NOT what current copyright law generally holds.
}> That's not what current intellectual propertly law holds.

As I mentioned, independent of the legality, this practice has a
deleterious effect on open systems, discourages industry investment in
creating licensable technology, and shows no respect for the value of
the specification and design time invested by the original creators of
the system.  That the legal system may no protect such things is 
unfortunate.


Mike
----