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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: High performance liquid screenshots
From:       Richard Stevens <mail () richardstevens ! de>
Date:       2001-06-10 21:47:41
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On Sunday 10 June 2001 23:29, Andreas Pour wrote:

Hmm,

what about all the other styles? What about e.g. W2K. It really looks a lot 
like w2k and I never heard a discussion about copyrights on that one. There 
are a lot of usage patterns and ideas well known from windoze in KDE. I think 
the redmont company might even be a larger threat since they don't like Linux 
anyways. I'd really like the new style to be included. I'm using 
aqua-graphite right now and I like it a lot. I'd change to mosfets style 
right away if it was there.

Cheers,

Richard
> Uwe Thiem wrote:
> > >From my point of view, this whole discussion about legal issues with
> >
> > Daniel's newest style is pointless for various reasons.
> >
> > 1.
> > Daniel, you did copyright the style to yourself, didn't you? So the
> > only person taking a risk is Daniel. If he chooses to do so it's his
> > choice! What is KDE? KDE is a worldwide network of volunteers. A network.
> > KDE is no legal entity at all. KDE e.V. is not KDE. The KDE League is
> > not KDE. In fact, we founded KDE e.V. to have a legal entity handy to
> > deal with Trolltech back then. Nobody can send a cease and desist letter
> > to KDE because KDE doesn't exist in legal space. They can send it to
> > Daniel. Again: If he wants to take the risk, his choice!
>
> Hi,
>
> That's not quite correct.  They can get an injunction against KDE's
> servers (I guess this would be Trolltech).  In addition, under certain
> circumstances, if infringement is found and the distributors have burned
> CDs with them, they may be able to force the distributors to recall all
> the CDs and get damages from the distributors.  Causing financial injury
> to distributors is not going to help KDE!
>
> > 2.
> > But if Apple sends a cease and desist letter anyway? Whom to? Kurt
> > because he is the speaker for America? Martin because he is the the
> > speaker for Europe? They still aren't KDE!!!!!! Having the most anarchic
> > development model in the OSS world isn't a development speed advantage
> > only. It also is an advantage when it comes to lega issues. KDE is noting
> > a court can get its hands on. :-)
>
> There are servers . . . . and CDs . . . .
>
> > 3.
> > What about Linux distributions shipping Daniel's newest style? It's
> > their choice. Either they are willing to take the risk and ship it, or
> > they are not. Then they leave it out. Their choice, not ours!
>
> Good point.  However I think it would be worth pointing out that there
> may be IP issues with anything that's in the core packages of KDE.
> Somewhere were someone building a package for distribution is very
> likely to come across it.
>
> > 4.
> > When Apple tried to chew our arses back in 1998 (?) we bogged down.  Back
> > then, my stand on it was to bite back. This is even more true right now.
> > Some cases aren't solved in courts. They are solved in the open public.
> > Appple basing their GUI on BSD and trying to sue an OSS project? I'll go
> > for it!
>
> It's better in this case, IMHO, to have an individual developer take
> that risk.  Maybe you can put the theme on your server?  Then you can
> stand up for your principles all you want to :-).
>
> > There are times to keep a low profile. There are times to stand up and
> > speak your voice. This is one.
>
> I think if you think about KDE's best interests it is to avoid causing
> legal quagmires for the distributors.  The way I see it, Apple obviously
> cares more about protecting what it (rightly or wrongly) sees as its IP
> rights than it cares about "public opinion" in the Open Source
> community.
>
> > Daniel's newest style is awesome. I want it. No need to bog down for
> > Apple. Maybe we asre the first. So be it. We are bleeding edge. That
> > means sometimes we do bleed. Most times it means we are the edge.
>
> I should qualify this by admitting I don't know what Daniel's style is.
> My points apply to themes which Apple would reasonably consider to
> infringe their copyrights, and I am not passing any judgment on whether
> a particular theme does or does not satisfy that standard.
>
> Regards,
>
> Dre
>
> >> Visit http://master.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-devel#unsub to
> >> unsubscribe <<

- -- 
- ---
http://www.richardstevens.de

Unix IS user friendly, it is just selective about who his friends are.
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