Re: System 5.04? ... and the status of Apple system software

[CUTblakeney@home.com (Jeff Blakeney)]

On Sat, 01 Jul 2000 03:28:50 -0500, Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>
wrote:

>     So, Bernie will not need to be scrapped because users are prohibited
>from downloading or copyting IIgs ROM code. Mike, Joe, the guys at MyEsource,
>..., and other developers selling software do not need to be concerned,
>either. The same goes for net sites which offer Apple's system software for
>free download.

There is a world of difference between someone who has a license that
hasn't been canceled distributing Apple's system software and someone
who doesn't have a license at all distributing Apple's system
software.  The former is a legal distribution, the latter is an
illegal distribution.

If Apple does cancel the license that some people have, then they will
stop distributing Apple's system software because it will no longer be
legal for them to do so.

It has nothing to do with whether Apple will take action or not.

As to ROM code, we already know that it is a gray area but there is
absolutely no need for it to be distributed by anyone.  People who
don't own a specific model of Apple II don't have any legal right to
use the ROM code from that model.  If they do own that model then they
might be legally okay to use a ROM image with their emulator (this is
the gray area noted above).

Personally, I created the ROM images from my enhanced IIe, my ROM 1
and my ROM 3 IIgs myself (I have bothered with my II+ ROM and I don't
own an Apple //c yet).  I did not get them from any other source as it
is illegal to distribute them.

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