This is csna.35.11 in view mode; [Up]
Path: digifix!not-for-mail
From: dpp@athena.com (David Pollak)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.announce
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: Athena founder files petition in Lotus v. Borland Case
Date: 27 Aug 1993 17:46:53 -0400
Organization: Next Announcements
Lines: 37
Sender: sanguish@digifix.com
Approved: sanguish@digifix.com
Message-ID: <25lvcd$mgg@digifix.digifix.com>
David Pollak files Petition for Writ of Mandamas in the Lotus v.
Borland Case
BOSTON - Today, David Pollak filed a Petition for a Writ of Mandamus
in the Lotus Development Company v. Borland International case.
Mr. Pollak claims that the latest decision by Judge Keeton grants
monopoly control to Lotus over the Lotus Macro Language. This is
the first time a court has granted monopoly control over any language
to anyone. Pollak claims that this abrogates his rights to free
expression guaranteed by the First Amendment.
Granting monopoly control over a language or system of communication
is like granting Webster's Dictionary the rights to words in the
English language and having to pay royalties to Merriam- Webster,
Inc. each time those words are used. If the rights to American
Sign Language were owned by its creator, he or she could charge
each deaf person to use that language.
Pollak states, "I use many languages to express myself. Some of
these are computer languages. I am frightened by Judge Keeton's
decision granting Lotus ownership of a language that I and many
others use to express ourselves. That is why I have filed this
petition. As we continue moving into the technical age this decision
will affect everybody by granting monopolies over the methods that
we use to communicate and express ourselves."
A writ of Mandamus is an order from a higher court for a lower
court to perform or refrain from performing an action. The motion
filed seeks to have the District Court review the decision that
does not conflict with the First Amendment.
David Pollak is an attorney licensed to practice in Rhode Island.
He founded Athena Design, Inc. in 1989. Athena Design produces
best selling software for computers that run the NEXTSTEP operating
system.
- 30 -
These are the contents of the former NiCE NeXT User Group NeXTSTEP/OpenStep software archive, currently hosted by Marcel Waldvogel and Netfuture.ch.