Because if you open KWord, you can't take it as anything else but a clone of MS-Word. It looks the same, it feels the same, and it has a very related name. Every little item on the window's outline just happen to be exactly where MS-Word put it. This can't be mistaken.
Whatever I think about IP laws, I can't escape the bare fact that KWord violates quite a few of them.
And there are two sad points about this:
First and foremost, the fact that open source programmers see MS applications as a model to imitate. This applies for many GUI applications that we see lately: They smell MS without being MS. (GNOME & KDE included)
Linux and GNU has the vast advantage, that it doesn't have to be popular to survive, so we can do things the Right way. Why are we following the devil?
And the other sad thing, is that Linux is risking its legitimate status by offending laws of intellectual property. And for no reason at all.
So sad it is.
Eli
Shoshannah Forbes wrote:
From RISKS Digest:
:) ---- Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 08:57:38 -0600 (CST) From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: BSA Accuses OpenOffice ftp sites of piracy
It seems that some FTP sites that host OpenOffice are getting "cease and desist" e-mail from the BSA about their purported piracy of MS Office. Maybe their scripts should enhance their search criteria. Imagine the consequences if the BSA (or some other IP watchdog) had the authority to shut down "piracy" sites.
[Maybe a browser string search on "MS" and "OFFICE" also results in women
being asked to cease and desist if they are referred to as "MS." and
happen to have the title "Corporate Executive OFFICEr". PGN]
Here is an excerpt of the e-mail, which was posted at http://distribution.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?msgId=581265&listName=dev
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