Slashdot | Apple Cease-And-Desists Stupidity Leak
Misc.
'Remember Apple's "free, plus $19.95 shipping" updater CD for Mac OS X 10.1? Turns out it's actually a full version of the operating system (which helps explain why it's so large) but it adds an extra little package called "CheckForOSX." Remove that and you can install 10.1 on any disk -- or at least, that's the secondhand version I got of what used to be at MacFixIt's Nov. 20 report, which yesterday was taken down after a note from Apple's lawyers.'

This story provides a great example of how money can bend the law your way. Apple's cease and desist letter says, in part:

Moreover, by providing instructions on how to modify and circumvent restrictions within the Software, you are infringing Apple's copyrights in violation of the Copyright Act and engaging in acts of unfair competition in violation of the Lanham Act.

It is now sufficient merely to observe how a copyright can be infringed, according to Apple, and to say it in public, to be responsible for an actual infringment.

Well, here's a few more: If you use a CD copier with an appropriate program, it is possible to copy the files on that disk to another disk. If you use a photocopier, you can copy any user manual Apple has every produced. If you use the File->Save command in your browser while looking at Apple.com, you can save and subsequently distribute copies of Apple's home page.

Does anyone seriously think I violated any law with the previous paragraph?

Oh, Apple, in case your lawyers catch wind of this (unlikely), I have no Apple stuff on my computer, so be sure to omit the Apple's license agreement, which you accepted upon purchasing a copy of the Software, part of the nastygram.