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Stole from Apple?
I'm a bit confused by your accusation here. If you are partnered
with someone and there is no written contract/patent etc about
intellectual property rights or disclosure then if the partnership
splits the ideas can be taken and used. I don't see this as theft.
Surely, the (person you can't remember the name of) was in
partynership with Gates BECAUSE there was some benefit to this.

The founder(s) of Apple computer were Jobs, Wozniak and
Wayne. I don't beleive Gates was in a partnership with them (or
perhaps you are confused about the relationship of Apple and
Microsoft because there was a strong connection while Microsoft
were creating business software (Word and Excel) but way before
Windows really came to light.).

Ballmer and Allen were long standing business partners of
Gates. I think he stole from them though.

Microsoft (not Gates) did disassemble QuickTime and used
significant amount of code to create their Media Player
application. They also copied several key features from the old
Apple GUI (whcih in turn was developed somewhat from the
Xerox prototype GUI. A long term dispute was solved amicably
by the two companies sometime at the turn of the century.

Although Microsoft have never really been crashing wave
adopters of "new" technologies like Apple and have often been
accused of imitating in the past few years, Apple have taken
ideas from MS recently. It's all swings and roundabouts.

Of course if the majority of the MS code was Open Source then
perhaps these problems wiouldn't have been too much of an
issue?
Posted by: mbrierley   Posted on: 09/28/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Zune, iPod Was Start of HP identity theft  mighetto | 09/26/06
Another bogus "MS's Fault" report...  John Zern | 09/27/06
ROTFLMAO  Intellihence | 09/27/06
What don't you understand about ...  Media-Ted@... | 09/27/06
Isn't that Apple in this case?  xuniL_z | 09/28/06
OK, new term:  Media-Ted@... | 09/30/06
I think everyone missed the big picture!  WV_z | 09/27/06
Stole from Apple?  mbrierley | 09/28/06
Correction  tic swayback | 09/28/06
First of all  xuniL_z | 09/28/06
Well...  zkiwi | 09/28/06
huh??  xuniL_z | 09/28/06
WRONG!  Rick_K | 09/28/06
SORRY, BUT YOU ARE WRONG!!  xuniL_z | 09/28/06
standardized...  misi999 | 09/28/06
If it weren't for the sentiments  xuniL_z | 09/28/06
Moral  frgough | 09/26/06
No, the 'moral'  mdemuth | 09/26/06
The problem  beaner1111@... | 10/04/06
Challenging the Lexmark precedent  Edward Meyers | 09/26/06
How did they get ahold of the code?  nucrash | 09/27/06
The dog walking the human ...  lalogos | 09/27/06
good depends on your point of view  voska | 09/27/06
wow, that shoe fits me!  shraven | 09/27/06
Re: The dog walking the human ...  stephenlposey@... | 09/27/06
Cartoons  chinese.bookie | 09/27/06
What the...  MythicalMe | 09/27/06
Chamberlain was Conservative  FoxFord | 09/27/06
Hmm Chamberlain  mbrierley | 09/28/06
Microsoft is a criminal organisation.  DemonX | 09/27/06
Assertions, assertions  zkiwi | 09/27/06
DRM encryption will soon be irrelevant!  Irritated_User | 09/27/06
Ah, the analog hole !  Yamust B. Kiddingme | 09/28/06
THANK-YOU!!!!  beaner1111@... | 10/04/06
If it truly provided for "fair use" I might have some sympathy for MS  shawkins | 09/27/06
And if this was a Linux hack....  DragonBRockin | 09/27/06
Uhh since we don't have these kinds of restrictions  Linux User 147560 | 09/27/06
But isn't Linus fighting fo rthe right  John Zern | 09/27/06
The only thing he is fighting is GPL v3  Linux User 147560 | 09/27/06
Careful LU..  Monkey_MCSE | 09/27/06
We wish  tic swayback | 09/27/06
Drop the crak pipe , and stop being in denial , MS code is C.R.A.P.  Intellihence | 09/27/06
Just so as you know...  zkiwi | 09/27/06
RE: And if this was a Linux hack....  joe6pack_z | 09/28/06
Atleast the "Analyst's" realize something...  ju1ce | 09/27/06
Just Release The Source To All The File-Sharing Sites  itanalyst | 09/27/06
DRM was meant to be broken  #_z | 09/27/06
Well, if he didn't use MS source code...  PB_z | 09/27/06
Wasn't DeCSS removal forced?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 09/27/06
Correct, but  #_z | 09/27/06
They claimed it violated trade secret  Edward Meyers | 09/27/06
It would seem to me  No_Ax_to_Grind | 09/27/06
Like throwing eggs at shadows  voska | 09/27/06
Re: Wasn't DeCSS removal forced?  none none | 09/27/06
I see no  No_Ax_to_Grind | 09/27/06
Re: I see no  none none | 09/27/06
Reverse engineering isn't illegal  voska | 09/27/06
Gee, guess you never heard of DMCA huh?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 09/27/06
Nope.  Edward Meyers | 09/27/06
Bzzzt, wrong...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 09/27/06
EULA and DMCA  davids@... | 09/27/06
EULAs themselves violate the basic fundamental principles of contract law.  Joel R | 09/27/06
Security feature ??  pkrdk | 09/28/06
Um, no  voska | 09/27/06
re: DMCA and other countries  dpastern | 09/27/06
I'm curious to know!  Spikey_Mike | 09/27/06
Really???  DNSB | 09/27/06
EULA has nothing to do with it  Yagotta B. Kidding | 09/27/06
What about  beaner1111@... | 10/04/06
Try that again  #_z | 09/27/06
Your memory is a little off, too  critic-at-arms | 09/27/06
Reverse-engineered code  dms350 | 09/27/06
Reverse engineering - speaking of history  jim.shaw@... | 09/27/06
purchased?  ttocsmij | 09/27/06
Thanks e're so much  Media-Ted@... | 09/27/06
They did not  raggi | 09/28/06
Huh?  draciron@... | 09/27/06
Reverse engineering in itself not illegal, but the end result is  John Zern | 09/27/06
Not Quite . . . What Is a Patent?  graphyx@... | 09/30/06
Not Quite . . .  graphyx@... | 09/30/06
DeCSS and similar programs are still out there.  B.O.F.H. | 09/27/06
Message has been deleted.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 09/27/06
Which is why....  tic swayback | 09/27/06
Re: I agree, low life scum will always exist.  none none | 09/27/06
Now We Know  Ole Man | 09/27/06
Now we know  dellaszoo | 10/01/06
Scum Bucket  X41 | 09/27/06
Self-absorbtion  Yagotta B. Kidding | 09/27/06
anyone else you'd like to offend?  shraven | 09/28/06
If this was illegal  zkiwi | 09/27/06
Has the copyright infringement...  Spikey_Mike | 09/27/06
Welcome to the DMCA  Edward Meyers | 09/27/06
lol, so they tell websites to take it down.. it will just end up on  Been_Done_Before | 09/27/06
Er...  A.Sinic | 09/27/06
Reason  ben7352@... | 09/28/06
Nothing stops them from asking  voska | 09/27/06
Instill fear of later litigation  Ngallendou | 09/27/06
Copyright infringement  carlor@... | 09/27/06
Although oddly enough  zkiwi | 09/27/06
If ya can't beat em, cheat em  bony tryan | 09/27/06
M$ Funded SCO  wjgrimm | 10/04/06
Fortunatly for us  TripleII | 09/27/06
MS is assuming  Shelendrea | 09/27/06
Your missing a key element  draciron@... | 09/27/06
Preview of a new MS tactic?  critic-at-arms | 09/27/06
While I understand...  BitTwiddler | 09/27/06
DRM is the root of all evil  drorharari | 09/27/06
DRM is not just about crippling fair use rights  tic swayback | 09/27/06
DMCA is the Root...  entraxon1190 | 09/28/06
doesn't feel so good does it MS?  mypl8s4u2 | 09/27/06
Wow, what a ranting little guy you are.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 09/27/06
Opinion granted  mypl8s4u2 | 10/02/06
Oh look. Another one  John Zern | 09/27/06
Not all of us  TripleII | 09/27/06
Finally, ... I'm sorry, ... Who?  Media-Ted@... | 09/27/06
don't forget bitty (although he may be no_axe) - nt.  aladorn@... | 09/29/06
Yes, probably, maybe  zkiwi | 09/27/06
Or another viewpoint  crayolakidd | 09/29/06
They will have to change the name  msdead | 09/27/06
Has ANY of the content providers considered...  msdead | 09/27/06
no, because it doesn't earn them their annual 'bonus'  zoroaster | 09/27/06
I see this story has upset  msdead | 09/27/06
Can no one see the big picture here?  cyberian_z | 09/27/06
Right On!!!!!  gaelicfog@... | 09/27/06
Give Me a Break!!!!!!  gaelicfog@... | 09/27/06
Thief As Robbery Victim...  bradhall44 | 09/27/06
Give YOU a Break??????  mikeholli | 09/29/06
tardy2  tardy2 | 09/27/06
Why, indeed???  Media-Ted@... | 09/27/06
Hypocracy at it's finest.  draciron@... | 09/27/06
DRM is useless anyway  ifrancis@... | 09/27/06
Because they own them.......  Hitparader | 09/27/06
Actually the public owns it  Edward Meyers | 09/27/06
Disney?  ccrashh2@... | 09/29/06
absolutely different  oskiller@... | 09/29/06
Couldn't happen to a better (?) company!  OldStuff | 09/27/06
MS deserves it  OldStuff | 09/27/06
What's the fuss? It's just Microsoft throwing a tantrum again.  ttocsmij | 09/27/06
Oh the irony ...  zoroaster | 09/27/06
Old Russian Joke  Yagotta B. Kidding | 09/27/06
brain's not fast enough  humble99 | 09/27/06
I've said it before and  Suicida| | 09/27/06
Yes! It's about time!  Angelsinthealley | 09/27/06
well well...  subway.cookie | 12/29/06
Microsoft sues...  starman_gary | 09/27/06
The Points that we and M$ should be aware of....  Jay E Court | 09/27/06
Long Live.....  Jay E Court | 09/27/06
I call bull  mobrien_12@... | 09/27/06
Considering how well written the WGA crap was  Xwindowsjunkie | 09/27/06
hacker  anniehines00@... | 09/28/06
Was it one of you  Boot_Agnostic | 09/28/06
RE: Microsoft sues over source code theft  Protagonistic | 09/28/06
All MS can do is Blame themselves  rupaa62 | 09/28/06
DRM Stripped? So what?  TechinMN | 09/28/06
WHAT'S IN MICROSOFT?  BALTHOR | 09/28/06
My rights.  birdmaniw | 09/28/06
Thank Congress and international copyright associations  Boot_Agnostic | 09/28/06
Why don't the FairUse4WM author share the stolen source + FairUse4M source?  GreatInca | 09/28/06
He didn't steal the code  TripleII | 09/28/06
If he didn't steal the code, then he probably reverse engineered it  GreatInca | 09/28/06
reverse engineered? sure?  subway.cookie | 12/29/06
Kiss-Off  Ole Man | 09/29/06
good argument, hippie  einsteintech | 09/29/06
Brown Nose  Ole Man | 09/29/06
An interesting side note to all this controversy  Confused by religion | 09/29/06
absolutely NOT!  conchyjoe7 | 09/29/06
Is the giant really a Leprechaun hoarding his gold??  ProfessorJWN | 09/30/06
Is the giant really a Leprechaun hoarding his gold??  ProfessorJWN | 09/30/06

What do you think?

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