[Am-info] STATES SEEK MICROSOFT WINDOWS SOURCE CODE

[John J. Urbaniak]

Paul Rickard wrote:

> ========== On 2002.02.14 04:40 PM, Erick Andrews typed: ============
>
> >This is interesting.  The article reports:
> >
> >---------------------------------
> >"This is the equivalent of demanding of Coke that they turn
> >over the formula," said Andrew Gavil, a professor of antitrust
> >law at Howard University. "This is exactly what Microsoft
> >wanted to avoid."
> >
> >In Tuesday's motion, the states also asked the judge to appoint
> >a technical expert to help provide "impartial opinions on the
> >complex, highly technical issues raised by the parties ...."
> >---------------------------------
> >
> >Is there a precedent for this?  Only thing that quickly comes
> >to mind might be the "O-Rings" designed by Morton Thiokol.
>
>     Didn't the government have to step in and force railroads to use the
> same standards on their tracks so lines could join together? Or did I
> dream that up...
>

And wasn't IBM compelled to give up the specs for its big machines, thus
begetting Amdahl and others?

John