Re: Apple dumping ObjectiveC for Java ?

[Scott Christley]

At 11:31 AM 11/5/97 -0600, Sven N. Thommesen wrote:
>
>Perhaps if Apple wants to dump ObjectiveC, they can be persuaded to give it
>to someone else, or even release it into public domain? 
>
>Scott, do you hear anything concrete from Apple ?

Apple only holds a trademark (through NeXT and originally from StepStone) on
the word "Objective-C"; it is not possible to own a trademark or copyright
on a computer language.  They could get a patent on the language but it's
too late.

Objective-C, as a language, is already implemented within the GNU compiler.
The Free Software Foundation hold the complete copyright to the code, so
rest assured that ObjC will live and be free forever! :-)

I have talked to some Apple folks recently; I wanted to go and demo GNUstep
for them and hopefully get an official endorsement and such, but alas it's a
no-go.  I'm still in a state of depression from the call :-(  With Rhapsody,
and this so called Yellow Box implementation; they are deviating
considerably from the original OpenStep specification.  Likewise, they no
longer have interest in the cross-platform possibilities of OpenStep,
according to my contact "Yellow Box covers Windows and Mac which is 100% of
the desktop, and that is all we care about right now."

It also looks like Yellow Box will become proprietary and we may get sued if
we were to try to implement it too closely.  Even though computer languages
cannot be copyrighted, computer interfaces possibly can because the US
Supreme Court has not ruled decisively on the issue.

Scott


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