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I believe there were lawsuits over IBM clones, way back when, amd the clones won, based on interoperability. Apis are software, not hardware, but you'd expect t
by hyperpallium 7y ago
I believe there were lawsuits over IBM clones, way back when, amd the clones won, based on interoperability. Apis are software, not hardware, but you'd expect this to be the same, because of the same underlying policy considerations.
Sometimes courts uphold the letter of the law, but say the legislature should change it.
- jclulow 7y agoI believe the substance of those suits was on the copyright protection IBM were due on the ROM BIOS image, which was the most substantial piece of IP developed by IBM for the PC. In the end, clones won because the BIOS call interface could be replicated without directly copying that software artefact -- merely its behaviour -- and so actually seems pretty relevant to API copyright issues generally.
- niftich 7y agoIBM sued Corona Data Systems, and Corona settled [1]. IBM sued Handwell Corporation, and Handwell settled [1]. IBM sued Eagle Computer Inc., and Eagle settled [2]. [1] https://books.google.com/books?id=gy4EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA15&pg=PA15#v=onepage&q&f=true https://books.google.com/books?id=gy4EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA15&pg=P... [2] https://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/22/business/eagle-ibm-settlement.html https://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/22/business/eagle-ibm-settle...