NeXT Steve Jobs on Look-n-Feel lawsuit

19882:32English

Transcript

Machine transcript in the original language. It may contain errors. Select a timestamp to play that moment.

Graphical user interfaces were also the subject for the courts this year.
In probably the most celebrated legal battle in computer history,
Apple Computer sued its longtime ally Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard.
Apple accused the two of selling a graphical user interface
that looked too much like the GUI on the Macintosh.
Apple claims that such things as the trash can and the overlapping windows
were too similar in Microsoft's Windows and HP's new Wave programs,
which employ icons and pull-down menus like the Mac.
Apple provided these pictures to show the similarity
But HP claimed that most of the screen is user-definable
And supplied this picture to show New Wave in its undefined state
Shortly after the suit was filed, Steve Jobs, the man that brought the Macintosh to market
Gave a speech to the Software Publishers Association and talked about the lawsuit
And I was sitting at my table, actually
I noticed we had a reserved sign at our table, one of these little reserved signs
I looked at the bottom, it says patent number 3086658.
And so this reserve sign is patented.
I thought that was symbolic of the times that we live in.
One can say on one end of the spectrum
that the actual bits used to make that trash can are copyrightable.
But if you copy the bits, you should not do that.
And let's move a little bit further down the road.
We could say, well, maybe calling it a trash can isn't a good idea.
Maybe we shouldn't let people call it a trash can.
And then you move a little bit further down the road and you say,
well, maybe you shouldn't put it in the lower right-hand corner to pick one at random.
Maybe that's not a good idea.
And then you move a little bit further down the road and you say,
well, maybe if the user can move it around freely,
they shouldn't be able to put it in the lower right-hand corner.
And then if you move down the road a little further,
Maybe you should say, well, even if you have a different icon, you shouldn't provide an icon editor with your system,
because somebody could change that icon to look like a copyrighted icon and move it in the lower right-hand corner.
And then you get down all the way to the other end, you say, well, we'd like to copyright the function of a trash can.
And I think somewhere along that line, along that spectrum, we would all draw a line and say,
you shouldn't cross this line and try to copyright stuff.
When we were developing the Macintosh, we kept in mind, I think, a very famous quote from Pablo Picasso,
which was, good artists copy, great artists steal.
When we come back, the latest gooey, presentation manager.

Transcript

Machine transcript in the original language. It may contain errors. Select a timestamp to play that moment.

Graphical user interfaces were also the subject for the courts this year.

In probably the most celebrated legal battle in computer history,

Apple Computer sued its longtime ally Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard.

Apple accused the two of selling a graphical user interface

that looked too much like the GUI on the Macintosh.

Apple claims that such things as the trash can and the overlapping windows

were too similar in Microsoft's Windows and HP's new Wave programs,

which employ icons and pull-down menus like the Mac.

Apple provided these pictures to show the similarity

But HP claimed that most of the screen is user-definable

And supplied this picture to show New Wave in its undefined state

Shortly after the suit was filed, Steve Jobs, the man that brought the Macintosh to market

Gave a speech to the Software Publishers Association and talked about the lawsuit

And I was sitting at my table, actually

I noticed we had a reserved sign at our table, one of these little reserved signs

I looked at the bottom, it says patent number 3086658.

And so this reserve sign is patented.

I thought that was symbolic of the times that we live in.

One can say on one end of the spectrum

that the actual bits used to make that trash can are copyrightable.

But if you copy the bits, you should not do that.

And let's move a little bit further down the road.

We could say, well, maybe calling it a trash can isn't a good idea.

Maybe we shouldn't let people call it a trash can.

And then you move a little bit further down the road and you say,

well, maybe you shouldn't put it in the lower right-hand corner to pick one at random.

Maybe that's not a good idea.

And then you move a little bit further down the road and you say,

well, maybe if the user can move it around freely,

they shouldn't be able to put it in the lower right-hand corner.

And then if you move down the road a little further,

Maybe you should say, well, even if you have a different icon, you shouldn't provide an icon editor with your system,

because somebody could change that icon to look like a copyrighted icon and move it in the lower right-hand corner.

And then you get down all the way to the other end, you say, well, we'd like to copyright the function of a trash can.

And I think somewhere along that line, along that spectrum, we would all draw a line and say,

you shouldn't cross this line and try to copyright stuff.

When we were developing the Macintosh, we kept in mind, I think, a very famous quote from Pablo Picasso,

which was, good artists copy, great artists steal.

When we come back, the latest gooey, presentation manager.