[SLUG] Software patents

[Jonathan Worthington]

"Stephen O'Neill" <soneill84 at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> I'm not sure who's seen it yet, but previews of OpenOffice 2 show that it 
> will look just like Microsoft office. They appear to be using the same 
> icons; they have moved the drawing bar from the left to the bottom; they 
> have added a table menu to the writer application.
>
> Might Sun be deliberately posturing themselves for a showdown with 
> Microsoft? I don't quite understand how they can get away with apparently 
> 'stealing' Microsoft's interface? - unless I'm missing something?
>
> One article previewing it is:
> http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20293
>
Interesting.  On icons, I guess so long as you don't literally copy them 
you're OK.  You can get XP-alike icons for use in your own apps from this 
place, for example:-
http://www.glyfx.com/toolbarimages.html
They have done the artwork themselves - they have their own in-house 
artist(s).

Icons aside, I agree that the interface is otherwise pretty similar though - 
it's strange they went for such a similar look.  Perhaps they just found it 
was what users wanted?

Sun and MS had their big showdown a little while back, and did a load of 
patent cross-licensing, money changed hands, etc.  See:-
http://www.sun.com/smi/Press/sunflash/2004-04/sunflash.20040402.3.html

Jonathan