Re: Spring Loaded Folders - Apple patent

[Havoc Pennington <hp redhat com>]

On Fri, Feb 28, 2003 at 05:12:31PM +0100, Murray Cumming Comneon com wrote:
> I wonder, how are Apple able to stop us from copying this UI feature but
> were not able to stop anyone from copying Windows/Buttons in general, when
> some court said that a device's user interface can not be copyrighted. I
> know that copyright isn't the same as a patent. Does this mean that Apple
> could have kept anyone from creating a competing GUI desktop if they had
> patented their own instead of just claiming copyright?
> 

The classic look-and-feel lawsuit was about copyright not patents, as
you say.

In any case, the issue isn't just whether GNOME would eventually win a
multi-year multi-appeal million dollar lawsuit, but whether we want to
be involved in one. ;-)

Havoc