From cube-lovers-errors@mc.lcs.mit.edu Mon Nov 2 18:00:09 1998 Return-Path: Received: from sun28.aic.nrl.navy.mil by mc.lcs.mit.edu (8.8.8/mc) with SMTP id SAA01157; Mon, 2 Nov 1998 18:00:08 -0500 (EST) Precedence: bulk Errors-To: cube-lovers-errors@mc.lcs.mit.edu Message-Id: <3.0.32.19981102164235.0094e100@mail.spc.nl> Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 16:42:36 +0100 To: cube-lovers@ai.mit.edu From: Christ van Willegen Subject: Re: Unauthorized Use of RUBIK'S CUBE and CUBE Design Marks? At 14:58 31-10-1998 +0100, you wrote: >About 2 weeks ago I received the following message and it seems to me >that it might be interesting for you too: [Message deleted for brevity] > >Indeed the headline of my homepage at > >http://home.t-online.de/home/kociemba/cube.htm > >was "Rubik's Cube Explorer 1.5". So I removed the word "Rubik's" and >added some note at the bottom of the page (...blah blah is not derived >from, is not associated with blah blah...). > >I definitely will not remove the program from my homepage. This seems >ridiculous. I know, that other cube fans received similar mail because >they have some similar statements on their homepages now. > >What do you think about that? > I had the same 'problem' a couple of months ago. A handheld computer users group I was active in, once published a program that could be described as 'well, it looks a bit like Tetris ((R), if those lawyers are reading this, as well :-), but it's a long way off the mark'. The program was published in our magazine, and was also placed on a web-page. A couple of months ago, I received a letter from a Belgian lawyer firm, addressed to the user's group. This user's group, by the way, died about 5 years (!) ago. They told us to 'cease and decist' (a couple of things), including publishing this article on 'our web-page'. Well, since this was someone else's web- page, there was nothing we could do about it. We told them (in friendly terms) that the user's group no longer existed, that we were not affiliated to the user having the article on his web-page, and that we nover sold the program. We haven't heard from them (not even a letter stating that they received our reply!) since. It's kinda sad: The program was for an HP28S. I would have _loved_ to see those lawyers type the program in (a couple of kilobytes, via the keyboard!), only to find out that it was 'almost, but not quite, entirely unlike Tetris' (Douglas, if you're reading this, quotes are ok, no?). Just tell them you will take down the name, and they will probably be off your back. Christ van Willegen