tower@buita.bu.edu (Leonard H. Tower Jr.) (07/25/90)
Forwarded-For: rms@prep.ai.mit.edu
[Please repost as widely as possible.]
Sad to say, the bad guys seem to be winning---the courts are on their
side. On June 28, Lotus won the lawsuit against Paperback Software,
which had developed a spreadsheet with the same commands and menus as
1-2-3. Now they have sued SCO and Borland, claiming that their
spreadsheets (including Quattro Pro) are illegal copies. This
decision makes it more likely that Apple or Xerox will win their
suits, and establish a monopoly on window systems. And who knows who
will be the next to be sued by someone else.
But the last battle is the battle for public opinion, and we can still
win that.
Therefore, on August 2, we will march on Lotus headquarters to protest
their new lawsuits. This is a demonstration against look-and-feel
copyright, sponsored by the League for Programming Freedom.
We will rally at Tech Square at 12:30 pm (in the tree-filled central
area), then march at 1 pm to the Lotus building next to the river at
55 Cambridge Parkway. Professor Patrick Winston, director of the
Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and Richard Stallman, president of
the League for Programming Freedom, will speak once we arrive there.
If you are late, come directly to Lotus. Don't be too late, since we
will finish at 2 pm.
We will be handing out the new League stickers, showing Liberty
holding the disk and tape, with the slogan, "Stop Software
Monopolies." (If you are a League member, we will mail you some in
the next mailing.) Take them and post them where programmers will see
them! If you can come get some and post them before the demonstration,
so much the better.
Please post copies of this announcement where you work, on bulletin
boards and anywhere else appropriate. Also speak to your coworkers
and friends about the demonstration; some of them may not read net
news or bulletin boards. Then remind them again a few days before.
Since not everyone will make a sign, it is very helpful if you do so.
Here are some suggestions for slogans:
SAY NO TO MONOPOLY
KEEP YOUR LAWYERS OFF MY COMPUTER
BOYCOTT LOTUS
PROGRAMMERS ARE ANGRY
USERS WANT COMPATIBLE SOFTWARE
Use your imagination; the more variety, the better.
Once we get to the Lotus building, please remember not to litter, not
to block pedestrians and to stay out of the street. We want to behave
as responsible citizens of a democratic society and be seen as such.
It's a sure thing there will be lots of reporters covering this
demonstration. (We'll make sure of it.) Our previous demonstration
led to coverage in all the major computer newspapers, and many major
dailies. This one promises to be even bigger and have a greater
impact.
If you have to be somewhere else at 2 pm, then come at least from 1 to
1:30. If you work in the suburbs, you can travel back and forth and
attend the most important part of the demonstration in about two
hours. That's a long lunch, but you can get away with it. Mark the
date and don't let anything stop you from coming. We can win--but we
must all pitch in.