[Am-info] Gates: Antitrust trial "a waste of resources"

[Mitch Stone]

--- From a message sent by Paul Rickard on 6/13/00 9:53 AM ---

>====== On 06.13.2000 12:48 PM, Mitch Stone typed: =======
>
>>I thought the reference to the Apple look-and-feel lawsuit was especially 
>>puzzling and inappropriate. First, this suit did not lead to the $150 
>>million investment -- the Quicktime patent infringement lawsuit did, many 
>>years later. Second, Gates' suggestion that it was a "waste of resources" 
>>is no more than a display of pinpoint accuracy hindsight. Gates came 
>>within a hair's breath of losing that one big time, and I'm fairly 
>>certain he knows it. The man is one awesome disinformation machine, 
>>that's for sure.
>
>    And that look-and-feel victory has since then come about to bite 
>Microsoft's ass, since it removed any grounds for them to sue the Linux 
>vendors that include a Windows-looking interface with their own systems.

Possibly. Apple's case was complicated by them having licensed some 
elements of the Mac interface to Microsoft in 1985 (under duress). 
Knowledgeable parties suggest that Apple would have won otherwise.

 || Mitch Stone  
 << The Accidental Expert  
 || mitch@accidentalexpert.com

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