[Tfug] Microsoft reportedly wants open source software users to pa y rolyalties

[Anthony Hess]

Now you're just making stuff up :)

The "look and feel" lawsuit loss had absolutely nothing to do with Xerox and
everything to do with the fact that Microsoft had better lawyers.  They
licensed the Mac OS System look and feel to make Microsoft Office for Mac
back in the 80s (I think it was just called Excel and Word back then).  They
took that and used it on their operating system.

The Mac was a very different user interface from the Xerox one.  Windows, on
the other hand, was much more like the Mac than either was like the Xerox
OS.  Windows 95s and on explorer interface was probably more NeXTish than
Mac-ish - Gates just loved to copy Jobs no matter where he was.

Tony

On 5/17/07, George Cohn <gwcohn at simplybits.net> wrote:
>
> I think this whole thing is just MS trying to scare off folks from using
> open source because it's starting to make a dent in their empire.
>
> Read "Dealers of Lightning: XEROX PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age"
> ISBN-10: 1842030000, also available in paperback.
>
> Most of what MS markets today was invented by Xerox in the early '70's
> while Bill Gates was still in high school.
>
> The infamous case where MS sued Apple over the GUI was thrown out of
> court when it was discovered that they *both* stole it from Xerox.
> Gates even admitted that to Apple.
>
> The impact of Vista seems to be a large *thud* to the corporate world so
>   the philosophy of MS seems to be "If you can't innovate, litigate."
>
> George Cohn
>
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