Re: Relating to my recent discussions with Steve Wozniak.

[Linards Ticmanis <ticmanis@gmx.de>]

On 04/28/2012 04:56 AM, Kyle Lund wrote:
> I'm about to make a Apple //e replica on a FPGA.  I contacted Wozniak regarding certain source code needed to make it functional, and he said he would happily give me any rights he owned, but the majority it was owned by Apple.  Can any of you point me in the direction of clearing the neccesary code rights.

If you don't want to sell the thing just go ahead and do it. Many
emulators have included Apple II firmware for a long time and I have yet
to hear about anybody complaining.

This is obviously de facto, if not de jure, a different issue from
distributing newer stuff, where there is still more commercial value in
the firmware.

If you do want to sell it, either ship it without the firmware and give
users a way to put it in, or set up a company, have 100 million dollars
in the back hand or a very generous bank, and be prepared to sell a
million of them. Hire a good representative and offer them a lot of
money. Even big companies can usually be persuaded to do unusual things
with the right kind of money. Otherwise I don't think you'll have a chance.

-- 
Linards Ticmanis