[Author Prev][Author Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
[Author Index (this month)][Thread Index (this month)][Top of Archive]

Re: Imitation vs. Assimilation (was RE: What a predicament!)

Subject: Re: Imitation vs. Assimilation (was RE: What a predicament!)
From: Bob Perrey <rperrey -at- sbcglobal -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 01 Mar 2002 14:54:56 -0800

Andrew and others,

In the arts, Leonardo and Mozart were great borrowers. Microsoft, and the DOS it bought, emulated CPM, which in turn emulated UNIX, somewhat, in the command-structure approach. Lotus was an emulator. AMD was an emulator. Most successful browsers stem from Mosaic. I suppose that if a documentor-writer discovers outright lifting of code or theft of patented or copyrighted material, then protesting or resigning is in order. I suppose that if one is uncertain about the propriety of a project in regard to imitation, one could ask for indemnification of some kind from an employer. But in the larger sense, ALMOST ALL technical projects are similar to ones that went before: a Technical Reference Manual is just that, and if you never wrote one, you go find one; an on-line application is like every other one, except in purpose; a vertical-market application is like every other one, with a data-management back-end, order entry, customer lists, inventory, blah-blah. Ask an application programmer: there is ONE master application changed for the client! Laws protect certain levels of innovation, and we should not need to agonize about imitation. Ironically, how many would know a truly new technology innovation, unless it reached out and bit them?

Bob Perrey

=============================================
At 02:15 PM 03/01/02 -0800, you wrote:

"Earl Cooley" wrote...

> I've always heard that when large megacorps see a
> worthy technology in the wild, when possible, they
> buy the company, and either assimilate it or crush
> it to avoid having to compete with it. Imitation
> costs people points; crush or assimilate is mostly
> just money points.

Its the way of the jungle, man. Eat or be eaten.

Whatever the case, there is nothing wrong (or illegal) with imitation. Lots of
firms imitate competitors. Sometimes imitation is more profitable than
innovation.

Imitating somebody else's work is normal and legal. Outrightly ripping them off
and passing them off as your own is what's illegal.

Andrew Plato



// Bob Perrey, Publisher
// R. Travers Press
// rperrey -at- sbcglobal -dot- net
// Sisyphus, too, was happiest between gigs.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Now's a great time to buy RoboHelp! You'll get SnagIt screen capture
software and a $200 onsite training voucher FREE when you buy RoboHelp
Office or RoboHelp Enterprise. Hurry, this offer expires February 28, 2002. www.ehelp.com/techwr

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


References:
Re: Imitation vs. Assimilation (was RE: What a predicament!): From: Andrew Plato

Previous by Author: Using .chm HTML help files with Delphi
Next by Author: Re: One more note under the door...
Previous by Thread: Re: Imitation vs. Assimilation (was RE: What a predicament!)
Next by Thread: Re: install vs. set up

[Top of Archive] | [Author Index (this month)] | [Thread Index (this month)]

What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:

Sponsored Ads