mikes@lakesys.UUCP (Mike Shawaluk) (10/13/88)
> There has been one unsubstantiated report posted to Usenet that the > second legal action has been decided and PKWare is now out of > business. > ... > If this project is no longer alive, we need to move on to other > possibilities. I have had several email messages from people offering > to build a new public domain archiver. > > --Keith Petersen The aforementioned "unsubstantiated report" is just that -- without substance. I spoke to Phil shortly after reading that posting (a couple of days ago), and he expressed a great deal of surprise, as there has NOT been any judgement in regard to the contempt charges by SEA (i.e., the second legal action). Phil said that sometimes the judge will decide within a few days, sometimes within a few months. Phil feels that they have a very solid position that the charges will be dismissed, but we need to wait and see. In regard to your second point (i.e., other possibilities), please don't abandon us yet! I know Phil hasn't been the most diligent person in answering his messages (he is quite busy in other matters; it's taken ME more than one try to get ahold of him, and he's just a local phone call away...). There have been a number of messages in regard to Phil's support (or alleged lack of) for the UN*X environment re: his new R-kiver, but I had a chance to talk to him about this, and the issue of release of source code, etc. Due to a couple of other recent events, regarding the illegal hacking and re-distributing of his original PKXARC software *before* the SEA legal actions, as well as the SEA suits themselves, Phil is **very** hesitant (make that adverse) to releasing his source code for the new R-kiver. He has stated that he would release detailed specifications of the file format, including header descriptions, file structure, compression algorithms, etc., as well as all machine-specific header packets, such as VMS file and record attributes, etc. He also said that he would release working code fragments and/or functions (most likely in C) that would perform the rudimentary functions of manipulating an R-kive, such as reading/decoding the header(s), (de)compressing of files, etc., and possibly a portable but non-optimized version of the program itself, which could be used as a starting point for porting of the program to other environments. This last point is a real problem in his mind, though, since SEA did precisely the same thing, and later sued Phil for "using" that code! Phil doesn't want to do that, since it makes him no better than the people who are taking legal action against him now, although one would hope and trust that PKWARE would never stoop to such efforts towards other enterprising developers. Phil's (rather OUR) file format is being designed with growth, versatility, expanded functionality, and other environments in mind, and we all want it to be accepted as much as is possible. BTW, after starting this reply, I realize that much of what I've said could (or should) be made into a public posting; if you agree, please feel free to post this Email, with or without appropriate edits or additions (just identify whatever changes you've made!) Keep in touch! [Note from Keith: no changes were made]