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From: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org>
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.apps,comp.os.linux.development.system,comp.os.linux.x,comp.os.linux.hardware,comp.os.linux.setup,comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Why to not buy Matrox Millennium
Date: 28 Mar 1996 03:36:41 GMT
Organization: Utah Valley State College, Orem, Utah
Lines: 46
Message-ID: <4jd1g9$19u@park.uvsc.edu>
References: <4j21ph$crr@slappy.cs.utexas.edu> <stephenkDoss45.1vu@netcom.com>
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stephenk@netcom.com (Stephen Knilans) wrote:
]
] In article <4j3v64$1rq@virtech.aib.com> dwex@aib.com (David E. Wexelblat) writes:
] >
] >1) It's illegal.
It's legal in the EEC because of the "piracy clause" on the
legality of disassembling code to document the interface.
This went into effect because of the licensing laws in Germany
when the EEC went to a common set of Copyright Law.
] Well, Mr. David Wexelblat. Is it legal to sell a non vga card
] as a VGA card?
It depends; it would fall under local "truth in advertising"
laws (if any) and under trademark law (if VGA was a registered
trademark and was being used without permission of the trademark
holder -- the same way "POSIC", "UNIX", and "Motif" work).
You have yet to prove that the card does not act like a VGA
card (that is, respond appropriately to INT 10 calls).
] >2) You will make no friends in the XFree86[TM] community by doing so. We
] > will do all in our power to stop you.
]
] TRY IT!!!!!! You could end up going out of business. Let me translate what
] you said in the above statement:
]
] You will make no friends by trying to get matroxs card to do what they claimed
] it would. We will do all in our power to stop you from getting your card, that
] YOU paid for, to work (as it is SUPPOSED to)!
You read this wrong. I read it as they will steadfastly refuse
to integrate any code you provide, provide you any help in
writing the code in the first place, or allow modification of
their code in such a wa as to convenience you writing your code.
This is exactly how the Diamond documentation issue was resolved.
Terry Lambert
terry@cs.weber.edu
---
Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present
or previous employers.