amigadave wrote:
I think that the AOS4.x team would need to be careful about what they create in the future,
Indeed, like *anything* "AmigoidOS"! Anything they will do in this regard in the future will be legally polluted with Amiga Inc IP.
but doubt that AInc. will waste their slim resources going after a hobby OS
The owners/investors of Amiga Inc has paid good money for the Amiga IP (millions of dollars) and if what you claim would have been true we wouldn't have seen this current lawsuit. Amiga Inc is *all about IP*, and its owners are obviously prepared to protect it.
if the AOS4.x team were to join up with the MorphOS2.x team and create something new, but similar to MorphOS2.x that would retain its backward compatibility with Classic Amiga software.
But WHY? MorphOS 2.0 is *already here*, why do something new?
The AOS4.x team can't be tainted forever to never work on anything close to an "Amiga-Like" OS.
Yes they can. They have seen the AmigaOS sources, they have worked with them. Few people on this planet has *as detailed and in-depth knowledge* about that part of Amiga's IP as those people. I have seen posts on online forum suggesting that all the OS4 team would have to do would be "removing the Amiga Inc IP", and then continue as usual (with a different name perhaps), and similar wishful thoughts. But from a legal point of view, that is *impossible*, you can't separate the IP once you have mixed them, and you can't "unlearn" the Immaterial Property from your brain, which will forever mean that anything they do in the future that is related to anything similar would be a big no-no, and would be like asking for trouble.
What would AInc. have to gain to start another lawsuit against the team if they start work on something new, but are using their knowledge and talent toward a similar, but different result?
If it's different (i.e something like Windows Vista, Linux, i.e. anything not related to AmigaOS) then *maybe* they would loosen the leash a bit (although it would naturally be in their best interest to keep an eye on them to spot any traces of Amiga IP that may have sneaked into the new OS, and they probably would do this). But if it's not Amiga related, why would anyone here be interested?
AInc. has not gone after the MorphOS2.x team lately.
They can't. They never could.
It just makes sense that if we could somehow put both sides back together working on one solution instead of two,
Oh I understand your point. And it's a nice thought!
In the year 2000 the entire community of users and developers could have gathered up around MorphOS. That would have made a difference back then. However, things played out differently. A *second* Next Generation "AmigoidOS" effort was launched instead.
You ask for *one* solution, and that one is already here, has been here all along, and will be here in the future as well. All users and application developers are completely free to jump on the MorphOS ship. Maybe some will when that other ship sinks? Who knows. But the OS4 developers can't be taken on board however (meaning: *as crew*; if they are mere "passengers" (users or third party application developers) it wouldn't be a problem, but they can't work on the OS itself). It would put the only remaining viable NG option at risk, as it would be a valid reason for Amiga Inc to open fire. And they aren't really needed either, there are already a clever bunch developing MorphOS. ;-)
it would get done twice as fast and might lead to something better than either alone has achieved.
I think at this point it's more about finding a commercial purpose for the OS...
