Re: Is it legal for hardware?

["Wyle E. Coyote" <wyle_e_coyote70@hotmail.com>]

"Wayne Stewart" <waynes@intergate.ca> wrote in message
3C3A50E7.557FB9BE@intergate.ca">news:3C3A50E7.557FB9BE@intergate.ca...
>
>
> Bryan Parkoff wrote:
>
> > Is it legal for hardware?
> >
> >     I am wondering if I can be able to duplicate any hardware controller
> > cards before I can redesign into new hardware controller cards before I
can
> > sell them.  It is like ZipGS, Transwarp GS, and some other controller
cards.
>
> In some cases you'd be guilty of patent infringement.

Really? What patent given for the Apple ][+ has not expired? How long do
these patents last anyway?

> However given the size
> of the Apple II market, I doubt you'd run into any legal problems.
> In some cases like with the ZipGS you'd run into monetary problems. The
> ZipGS uses a custom chip which no one will produce unless you pay for a
> run of several thousand. That's why ZipGS production ended, they couldn't
> hope to sell enough cards to ever pay for making up a batch of chips. I
recall
> when someone posted that Altech was down to one last card. I believe it
sat
> there for almost 2 months before Nathan Mates bought it. Then once it was
> sold there was a sudden flurry of postings from people saying they had to
have
> an accelerator.
>
>     Wayne
>