wje@sii.UUCP (Bill Ezell) (01/18/85)
In reference to the modified 'sc' spreadsheet sources that were posted
to net.sources, I would like to point out that there is another
spreadsheet for Unix, called 'vc'. 'vc' is a registered trademark
of Software Innovations, Inc. The sii spreadsheet is nothing like sc,
in that it supports multiple windows, automatic recalculation
ordering (via dependency graph ordering), etc. The sii spreadsheet has
been around since late 1981.
The main reason that I'm posting this article is that the use of the name 'vc'
for the modified version of 'sc' is causing mass confusion about what product
is what, and is violating sii's trademark.
You wouldn't beleive how much hassle it is getting a trademark in the first
place; sii can lose it by not enforcing proper use of the trademark.
Why not call the modified 'sc' something like 'sc2'?
Thanks,
Bill Ezell
({decvax,ittvax}!sii!wjemark@tove.UUCP (Mark Weiser) (01/23/85)
In article <378@sii.UUCP> wje@sii.UUCP (Bill Ezell) writes: >In reference to the modified 'sc' spreadsheet sources that were posted >to net.sources, I would like to point out that there is another >spreadsheet for Unix, called 'vc'. 'vc' is a registered trademark >of Software Innovations, Inc. The sii spreadsheet is nothing like sc, >in that it supports multiple windows, automatic recalculation >ordering (via dependency graph ordering), etc. The sii spreadsheet has >been around since late 1981. > >The main reason that I'm posting this article is that the use of the name 'vc' >for the modified version of 'sc' is causing mass confusion about what product >is what, and is violating sii's trademark. > I am sorry if anyone was confused. (No signs of confusion have reached me, just lots of bugs fixes and "thanks for the posting messages"), but perhaps the confused folks are too dazed to write. I have never heard of SII's vc. How about posting the source? :-) -- Spoken: Mark Weiser ARPA: mark@maryland Phone: +1-301-454-7817 CSNet: mark@umcp-cs UUCP: {seismo,allegra}!umcp-cs!mark USPS: Computer Science Dept., University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
daveb@rtech.ARPA (Dave Brower) (01/23/85)
> In reference to the modified 'sc' spreadsheet sources that were posted > to net.sources ... 'vc' is a registered trademark > of Software Innovations, Inc. Gee, i thought it was the 'version control' program that came with System V... ---------------- -dB {ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!daveb "The Closer you look, the worse it gets." -- ---------------- -dB {ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!daveb "The Closer you look, the worse it gets."
Sam Hahn <Samuel@SU-SCORE.ARPA> (01/24/85)
Isn't SC also already used by Sorcim/IUS? It may not be a trademark, bu that's the magic word used to start up SuperCalc. Still a point of confusion... -- sam hahn [samuel@score] -------
drd@sii.UUCP (David Dick) (01/09/87)
This morning I saw the posting that Bob Bond made of a
public domain spread sheet calculator in net.sources. Based
on Mark Weiser's previous version, he called the program
"vc".
'vc' is a registered trademark of Software Innovations, Inc. for
our UNIX(R) spreadsheet. We've been selling our spreadsheet
under that name for 5 years now. The software has no
relationship to what was originally posted to USENET or to
any other public domain software.
To all you readers of net.sources, please don't pass around
that public domain spreadsheet and call it "vc". When Jim
Gosling first released the spreadsheet software, it was
named "sc", for spreadsheet calculator. I think a good name
for this new incarnation would be "sc2" (or"sc3" if you want
to count Mark Weiser's version).
To all our customers who read net.sources, please don't
think the recent posting has anything to do with the product
you bought. Please don't call with questions about it and
please don't think that "vc" is now in the public domain.
-David Dick
usenet: decvax!sii!drd
BIX: drdick
MCImail: software, 266-6086
UNIX is a registered trademark of ATT
vc is a registered trademark of Software Innovations, Inc.smithson@calma.UUCP (Brian Smithson) (01/12/87)
In article <455@sii.UUCP> drd@sii.UUCP (David Dick) writes: >[...] >'vc' is a registered trademark of Software Innovations, Inc. for >our UNIX(R) spreadsheet. We've been selling our spreadsheet >under that name for 5 years now. The software has no >relationship to what was originally posted to USENET or to >any other public domain software. >[...] When Jim >Gosling first released the spreadsheet software, it was >named "sc", for spreadsheet calculator. I think a good name >for this new incarnation would be "sc2" (or"sc3" if you want >to count Mark Weiser's version). > I'd recommend against sc2 or sc3, not necessarily because of trademark violations (but perhaps...), but because of confusion with SuperCalc 2 and Supercalc 3, normally abbreviated as sc2 and sc3.
phils@tekigm.UUCP (Phil Staub) (01/13/87)
In article <597@calma.UUCP> smithson@calma.UUCP (Brian Smithson) writes: >In article <455@sii.UUCP> drd@sii.UUCP (David Dick) writes: >>[...] >>'vc' is a registered trademark of Software Innovations, Inc. for >>our UNIX(R) spreadsheet. We've been selling our spreadsheet >>under that name for 5 years now. >>[...] >>named "sc", for spreadsheet calculator. I think a good name >>for this new incarnation would be "sc2" (or"sc3" if you want >>to count Mark Weiser's version). > >I'd recommend against sc2 or sc3, not necessarily because of >trademark violations (but perhaps...), but because of confusion >with SuperCalc 2 and Supercalc 3, normally abbreviated as sc2 and sc3. I nearly replied to David's original posting, but hesitated until I saw Brian's, which seems to bear out the point which I would have originally made: One might find it very difficult to find a program name which does not conflict in some way with somebody's copyrighted program name, at least when invoked by the (typically) two- or three-letter name which UNIX (TM) users (and presumably nearly anyone else who uses command line-type interfaces) are so fond of. Think about it: there are a very small number of single character program names, and not terrifically more two character names. Even three character names would hardly be immune to this problem. Presumably, one names a program by a name which seems to suggest something about the purpose of the program, with very little consideration of similar command names chosen by other developers. Now, if I were to decide to market a software package (read: for money), I would feel obligated to attempt to avoid conflict with someone else's package, for two reasons: 1) to avoid copyright infringement suits, particularly if my package were to become a great success, and 2) to avoid any negative publicity, in the event that someone else's package is not as well written as mine (presumably) might be. For this reason, I refuse to be particularly concerned about finding a (non-copyrighted) name to use if and when I submit any public domain software to this net. I will submit it by whatever name I happen to use for it on my system, and worry about the copyright infringement suit when it happens. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phil Staub tektronix!tekigm!phils (206) 253-5634 Tektronix, Inc., ISI Engineering P.O.Box 3500, M/S C1-904, Vancouver, Washington 98668 -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phil Staub tektronix!tekigm!phils (206) 253-5634 Tektronix, Inc., ISI Engineering P.O.Box 3500, M/S C1-904, Vancouver, Washington 98668
steve@gondor.UUCP (Stephen 2. Williams) (01/14/87)
[ ... assorted complaints about name collisions... ] How 'bout calling it... fadd Unix seems to thrive in short cryptic names such as this. The problem wouldn't be so bad if unix people (or computer people in general) weren't afraid of pressing keys on their keyboard. --Steve P.S. FullscreenADDer.
faustus@ucbcad.berkeley.edu (Wayne A. Christopher) (01/14/87)
It seems to me that just because your program's Makefile produces a binary called "vc" that doesn't mean that the program can't be called "Joe's Wonderful Spreadsheet Program", which is much more likely to be unique than "vc"... Wayne
cdl@aluxs.UUCP (MITCHELL) (01/16/87)
> It seems to me that just because your program's Makefile produces a > binary called "vc" that doesn't mean that the program can't be called > "Joe's Wonderful Spreadsheet Program", which is much more likely to be > unique than "vc"... > > Wayne COME ON.. Wayne. Don't be ridiculous
dmt@mtunb.UUCP (01/31/87)
In article <858@aluxs.UUCP> cdl@aluxs.UUCP (MITCHELL) writes: >> It seems to me that just because your program's Makefile produces a >> binary called "vc" that doesn't mean that the program can't be called >> "Joe's Wonderful Spreadsheet Program", which is much more likely to be >> unique than "vc"... >> >> Wayne > >COME ON.. Wayne. Don't be ridiculous Wayne isn't being at all ridiculous. As a real live commercial example, consider "Sidekick". I'm sure Borland has protected the name "Sidekick", but the actual character string that starts it up (and the name of the executable file) is "SK". Now I'm SURE that there are lots of languages, systems, etc. that use SK for something else, but that's irrelevant. The name of the PROGRAM is Sidekick; the name of the file happens to be the easy-to-type SK. There are lots of other examples in the PC world: Wordstar ... WS Windows ... WIN .... just to name a couple. { Sorry to follow-up in this newsgroup. What's the appropriate one now? I believe net.sources.d is dead. } Dave Tutelman Physical - AT&T Information Systems Room 1K218 307 Middletown-Lincroft Rd. Lincroft, NJ 07738 Logical - ...ihnp4!mtuxo!mtunb!dmt Audible - (201) 576 2442