On Thu, 30 May 2002, dndsystems1 wrote:
> right, but the variants of O/S that the numbers refer to are copyright
> so the numbers are an identification of O/S with its own copyright.
> version 1.xx in an O/S will mean to us (QL users) that this is QDOS
> (as far as the program running is concerned) O/S. 2.xx will be SMSQ/E.
> Other numbers mean other variants of QDOS. This is why, as explained
> to me, SMSQ/E cannot increment over 2.xx as we have encroached upon
> another O/S by using its id.
>
> Personaly speaking, version 1.00 of a new O/S title is fine by me and
> disregard all previous O/S versions, I don't mind.
So there's already an SMSQ v3.00 released by some other company? Even in
that case, copyright law would not apply, but trademark law might. Even
then, it would only apply to the SMSQ part of the name, and not the 3.0.
Just the version number by itself is absolutely, positively, not
copyrightable.
Unless you're saying that Windows 3.11, Risc OS 3.5, MacOS 3.0 - 9, etc,
are all infringing?
No, there is no problem with any SMSQ version unless there's already a
trademarked SMSQ out there.
There are no US Federal or WIPO trademarks registered for "SMSQ" - I just
checked.
Hope this helps...
Dave
