Re: Pipe dreams

["Harrison, Shawn" shawn_harrison@xxxxxxxx]

> I have
> written (for my own use) a little windows-based ascii editor with a
> command line, and I took the trouble of asking TTG whether they would
> object if I reased it as freeware, and that was about 10 weeks ago, and
> they're still thinking about it because their lawyers feel that the
> intellectual property issues are very complicated.

I would recommend that you discuss the issue with your *own* intellectual
property lawyer. From what I understand, the intellectual property issues
are not complicated at all: if you never saw the source code for XyWrite,
but you've just replicated some (one?) of the features (the command
line?), then you're perfectly within your rights. I suspect that TTG just
playing with you.

For instance, much of the GNU/Linux operating system consists of exact
replicas of proprietary UNIX software which belongs to AT&T. The GNU
people never saw the AT&T source, but they replicated the functionality
of the software feature for feature. I've never heard of AT&T sueing GNU
(or, the Free Software Foundation), and you can bet AT&T's lawyers are
not sleeping. My second-hand understanding of the laws is that, as long
as you've not seen the source code, no one can say you stole intellectual
property.

Regards,
Shawn

=================================================================
Shawn Harrison       | "One does not discover new lands
Associate Editor      | without consenting to lose sight of
Tyndale House Publishers  | the shore for a very long time."
shawn_harrison@xxxxxxxx |          --Andre Gide
=================================================================