Apple Computer Inc’s suit against Microsoft Corp and Hewlett-Packard Co over the look and feel of Microsoft Windows gained a fillip late last week when Judge Robert Keeton ruled in Boston that VP Planner, the 1-2-3 clone from Adam Osborne’s Paperback Software International Inc infringed Lotus Development Corp’s copyright in 1-2-3. The judge ruled that although the Berkeley, California company’s code was completely different, the commands and user interface were so similar as to violate Lotus’s copyright and described it as overwhelming and pervasive. Apple is suing Microsoft and Hewlett over later versions of Windows arguing that the similarity with the Macintosh user interface goes beyond that permitted under its 1985 agreement with Microsoft.
Content from our partners
