From: telecomdigestsubmissions@remove-this.telecom-digest.org   
      
   Back in the 1980s, everyone used the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet on their   
   PCs. In 1989, Borland released a competitor, Quattro Pro. It used the   
   same menu commands as 1-2-3 so that users could import their 1-2-3   
   spreadsheets with keyboard macros. Lotus sued Borland, and after a   
   loss in the district court, Borland won on appeal, arguing that the   
   keyboard commands are a "method of operation" and not subject to   
   copyright. Lotus appealed to the Supreme Court, which deadlocked 4-4   
   (one justice was recused) in 1996. That meant the appeals court   
   decision was affirmed but it did not set a formal precedent. Since   
   then everyone assumed that settled the matter, you can't copyright the   
   way a program works or its interfaces.   
      
   Well, everyone except one guy in Hawaii.   
      
   https://jl.ly/Copyright_Law/oragoog.html   
      
      
   ***** Moderator's Note *****   
      
   Kudos to John for providing the most clear expanation for U.S. "Fair   
   Use" that I have seen to date. ISTR that copyrights used to last for   
   27 years, and could be renewed once, but I think that was changed at   
   some point.   
      
   Please tell me what the current law allows. Thank you.   
      
   Bill Horne   
   Moderator   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)