
Apple Computer
is being sued by The Open Group, the San Francisco company that claims ownership of the Unix trademark, for using the term Unix in conjunction with its Mac OS X operating system without a license. Apple has countersued, asking a judge to declare that the trademark is invalid, because the term Unix has become generic. This legal battle, though separate from SCO's recent claim that Linux uses copyrighted Unix source code, adds further fire to the debate over the custody of Unix--the 30 plus-year old OS originally developed by AT&T.
Then "Windows, Win, etc" are also invalid. Of course, they are less valid anyhow. Openwindows, remember?
Really, it was clearer when people stole each other's work outright, like is being claimed to a greater or lesser extent in the Be vs Microsoft case.