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- From: tjc50@juts.ccc.amdahl.com (Terry Carroll)
- Newsgroups: misc.int-property,misc.legal.computing
- Subject: Re: Look and Feel Infringement (was: Interface monopolies)
- Message-ID: <49xJ02IE2aDY01@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com>
- Date: 9 Nov 92 18:13:38 GMT
- References: <bhayden.721140119@teal>
- Sender: netnews@ccc.amdahl.com
- Reply-To: tjc50@juts.ccc.amdahl.com (Terry Carroll)
- Organization: Amdahl Corporation
- Lines: 37
-
- In article <bhayden.721140119@teal>, bhayden@teal.csn.org (Bruce Hayden)
- writes:
- > tjc50@juts.ccc.amdahl.com (Terry Carroll) writes:
- >
- > >In article <1992Nov3.184022.22163@fcom.cc.utah.edu>, terry@cs.weber.edu (A
- > >Wizard of Earth C) writes:
- > >> "Look and feel" is a direct result of an attempt to extend the protection
- > >> granted in a copyright to effectively produce a "software patent", or at
- > >> least the equivalent.
- >
- > Unfortunately, look and feel C/R is invariably much broader than patent
- > protection. Additionally, the C/R is never examined.
- >
- > >"Look and Feel" did not originate with software copyright. It originated
- in
- > >a case where Sid and Marty Kroft sued McDonald's for producing television
- > >commercials with the same "look and feel" as (but no literal copying of)
- the
- > >Kroft TV shows like "H.R. Puffenstuff". It's not a result of an attempt
- to
- > >effectively produce a software patent.
- >
- > I do not agree with your logic. Yes, the concept was not invented just
- > for software. But that is where it is the most insidious.
-
- I'm not sure what you think my logic is. The statement was made,
- incorrectly, that "'Look and feel is a direct result of an attempt to extend
- the protection granted in a copyright to effectively produce a 'software
- patent', or at least the equivalent." This statement is wrong, because "look
- and feel", under the name "total concept and feel", originated in a context
- totally unrelated to software. I pointed that out. My logic is limited to
- that point.
-
- With which part do you disagree?
-
- Terry Carroll - tjc50@juts.ccc.amdahl.com - 408/992-2152
- The opinions presented above are not necessarily those of a sound mind.
-