From: CRDGW2::CRDGW2::MRGATE::"SMTP::PREP.AI.MIT.EDU::OWNER-INFO-GNU-EMACS" 24-JUN-1990 03:08:37.71 To: MRGATE::"ARISIA::EVERHART" CC: Subj: Re: IBM Won't Distribute GNE Emacs Received: by crdgw1.ge.com (5.57/GE 1.70) id AA19316; Sun, 24 Jun 90 02:17:31 EDT Received: by life.ai.mit.edu (4.1/AI-4.10) id AA21209; Sun, 24 Jun 90 00:01:08 EDT Return-Path: Received: from tut.cis.ohio-state.edu by life.ai.mit.edu (4.1/AI-4.10) id AA20946; Sat, 23 Jun 90 23:51:59 EDT Received: by tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (5.61-kk/5.900605) id AA00484; Sat, 23 Jun 90 23:07:31 -0400 Received: from USENET by tut.cis.ohio-state.edu with netnews for info-gnu-emacs@prep.ai.mit.edu (info-gnu-emacs@prep.ai.mit.edu) (contact usenet@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu if you have questions) Date: 24 Jun 90 02:43:11 GMT From: mips!apple!agate!agate!rob@zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu (Rob Robertson) Organization: University of California, Berkeley Subject: Re: IBM Won't Distribute GNE Emacs Message-Id: References: <9006222322.AA23626@nlp25.nli.com> Sender: info-gnu-emacs-request@prep.ai.mit.edu To: info-gnu-emacs@prep.ai.mit.edu In article <9006222322.AA23626@nlp25.nli.com> nli!jym@APPLE.COM writes: .-. |T|he following are excerpts from a letter we got from IBM, dated `-' 19-Jun-1990. ------------------------------------------------------------------ IBM previously announced its intent to distribute the GNU Emacs editor as a feature of AIX (R) Version 3 for RISC System/6000 (TM) for a distribution fee only. . . . Today IBM is withdrawing the GNU Emacs features from marketing. . . . IBM has been advised of an allegation by a third party concerning ownership of certain portions of code contained in GNU Emacs. IBM makes no judgement concerning the validity of the facts which are in dispute. . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------ .-. |D|oes anyone know what IBM's talking about? Who's claiming that `-' they own part of GNU Emacs? <_Jym_> yeah, at the GNU BOF at usenix stallman said that Unipress had sent a letter to IBM saying that some of the code use in GNU emacs belongs to the original Gosmacs (which Gosling sold to Unipress). Now for the rest of the story: when stallman originally set out to create GNU emacs, he tried to use a legally obtained copy of Gosmacs as a base (I think Gosling gave him permission, i dunno). he found out that the lisp was not what he wanted and about all he used was the display code. he completed GNU emacs and then released it. some time after that, Unipress claimed that Stallman had illegally used their code. rather than compromise GNU emacs Stallman rewrote ALL of the display code. Stallman said that he had gotten a letter from Unipress after he rewrote the display code saying they had no further claims against the code in Emacs. will now, when they sent IBM a letter. IBM did what any large chickenshit corporation would do, they pulled GNU emacs off their distribution. despite reassurances from the FSF (and their lawyers). from what stallman said at the BOF, he has gone through the GNU emacs source code and rewrote everything the vaguely looks similar to the original Gosmacs code, in an effort to ward off any hesitancy people may have toward using GNU emacs. so expect a new release of version 18... [all editorializations are mine....] rob -- william robertson rob@violet.berkeley.edu indecision is the key to flexiblity