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0 pointsrasz2y ago0 comments

Microsoft never gave them any lifeline. Microsoft was caught shipping stolen Apple Quicktime code and quietly settled with Apple to the tune of $150mil and shipping Apple versions of Office/IE.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Canyon_Company https://www.theregister.com/1998/10/29/microsoft_paid_apple_...

"the [QuickTime] patent dispute was resolved with cross-licence and significant payment to Apple." The payment was $150 million."

"Intel gave this code to Microsoft as part of a joint development program called Display Control Interface."

"Canyon admitted that it had copied to Intel code developed for and assigned to Apple. In September 1994, Apple's software was distributed by Microsoft in its developer kits, and in Microsoft's Video for Windows version 1.1d."

0 comments

nl2y ago

MS buying Apple stock involved a pretty complicated deal that also involved settling a number of court disputes between the two companies, Apple agreeing to ship Internet Explorer for Mac (rather than Netscape) and MS agreeing to ship Office for at least 5 more years.

At the time and subsequently it was absolutely seen as a lifeline.

For example:

> Providing the biggest sign of hope yet for ailing Apple Computer, Microsoft today announced it was forging a new era of cooperation with its longtime rival that includes an investment of $150 million. [snip] News of the alliance sent Apple's stock up $7 a share, or 35 percent

https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19970806&slug...

scarface742y ago

And “their new alliance” was to keep shipping Office for the Mac like they had done for the past decade…

nl2y ago

Yes and/but there was real concern then that they'd stop supporting it which would have killed Mac use in corporate environments where specific version of office compatibility was a huge issue (As anyone who remembers the Office 2.0 vs Office 6 update on Windows will remember).

2 more replies

whinenot2y ago

Fun fact: Steve borrowed my friend's cell phone for this call which became the cover photo.[0]

[0]https://infostory.com/2013/08/18/steve-jobs-thank-you-bill-g...

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsrasz2y ago0 comments

Microsoft never gave them any lifeline. Microsoft was caught shipping stolen Apple Quicktime code and quietly settled with Apple to the tune of $150mil and shipping Apple versions of Office/IE.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Canyon_Company https://www.theregister.com/1998/10/29/microsoft_paid_apple_...

"the [QuickTime] patent dispute was resolved with cross-licence and significant payment to Apple." The payment was $150 million."

"Intel gave this code to Microsoft as part of a joint development program called Display Control Interface."

0 comments

nl2y ago

At the time and subsequently it was absolutely seen as a lifeline.

For example:

https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19970806&slug...

scarface742y ago

And “their new alliance” was to keep shipping Office for the Mac like they had done for the past decade…

nl2y ago

2 more replies

whinenot2y ago

Fun fact: Steve borrowed my friend's cell phone for this call which became the cover photo.[0]

[0]https://infostory.com/2013/08/18/steve-jobs-thank-you-bill-g...

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse