[H-GEN] Microsoft lost - what now ?

Frank Brand fbrand at uq.net.au
Wed Apr 5 01:25:47 EDT 2000


[ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and ]
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On Wed, 05 Apr 2000, you wrote:
> [ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and ]
> [ Unix-related topics.  Please observe the list's charter.          ]
> 
> 
> Correct me if i am wrong.....but i was under the impression that this last
> case was the apeal to the supreme court under surveilance from the
> senate. That would make this decision final......
> 
> I could be mistaken though.
> 


Yes I think you might be Luke. I think Michael's view of the extended appeal
process is closer to the truth. And in about 15 years time  - or maybe even 5
years time - what value will be left in the code for Win 95 so Bill could come
up with a plan to put Win 95 into the public domain as his penance.

This current process is actually the third part of the original court decision.

Part 1 was a summary of the findings and was released about last November.

Part 2 was the "official" decision. I think it was around January or February.

Part 3 is the negotiations on how the matter should be rectified and that is
the bit we are in now.

My understanding is that the computer business expects an appeal that will be
quite extensive. The intellectual property protection industry in the US is very
adept at prolonging lost causes. I can remember one case with the bionic ear and
Johnston and Johnston I think it was. Nucleus knew they would win but it would
be a pyrric victory. (Is that how you spell pyrric?)

-- 
Frank Brand
E-mail: fbrand at uq.net.au
Home Page: http://www.uq.net.au/~zzfbrand

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