Apple and Microsoft sign agreement and the library of Congress catch up on the digital age. All on today’s On This Day from TEST Huddle.
1985 – Apple and Microsoft Sign Agreement
In the United States, John Sculley of Apple Computer and Bill Gates of Microsoft sign a licensing agreement permitting Microsoft royalty-free use of the visual characteristics of the Macintosh for Windows 1.0. The agreement is signed two days after the system’s release. The agreement means Microsoft commit to releasing versions of its most popular applications for the Macintosh. One further part of the agreement is a official acknowledgement that “the visual displays in [Excel, Windows, Word, and Multiplan are derivative works of the visual displays generated by Apple’s Lisa and Macintosh graphic user interface programs.”
2006 – Library of Congress catches up on Digital Age
In the United States, the Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announces the approval of six new exemptions to U.S. Copyright law. These new exceptions include new rights to include issues relating to mobile phones, video games, ebooks and more. It’s the first time in history U.S. copyright exemptions are being made for individual groups, such as archivists and the blind. The announcement is a sign of acknowledgement for the digital age.
Images: Wikipedia
