I don't know if these will work for you, but...
On the back of my Apple LaserWriter II, introduced in 1988.
http://bitbucket.no-ip.com/images/laserwriter_II_switch.jpg
On the back of my AT&T PC 6300, infroduced in 1984
http://bitbucket.no-ip.com/images/ATT_PC6300.jpg
On the front of my old Leading Edge PC XT clone, intriduced in 1986
http://bitbucket.no-ip.com/images/leading_edge_PC.jpg
http://bitbucket.no-ip.com/images/leading_edge_PC_switch.jpg.
Ian Primus
ian_primus_at_yahoo.com
On Saturday, June 28, 2003, at 11:22 PM, John Foust wrote:
> I don't quite understand what copyright (as opposed to patent law)
> has to do with his case, but I thought I'd forward this inquiry...
>
> - John
>
>> From: "Advanced Approach" <info_at_advanced-app.com.hk>
>> To: <jfoust_at_threedee.com>
>> Subject: old hardware help requested
>> Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2003 10:51:42 +0800
>>
>> Dear Mr. Foust:
>>
>> I am an American living (temporarily) in Hong Kong, I am in a jam
>> here, and
>> you might be able to help. I would appreciate a couple of minutes of
>> your
>> time ? just enough time to read this. You may be able to tell me
>> what I
>> need to know immediately.
>>
>> I am a defendant in a lawsuit here. In the lawsuit against us, the
>> Plaintiffs claim that in the early 1990?s they were the first in the
>> world
>> to recess a rocker switch. (Actually, they do not use those exact
>> words;
>> rather, they claim they own the copyright on a recessed rocker
>> switch. For
>> them to own the copyright, they would have to be the first people in
>> the
>> world to put out a product with a recessed switch.)
>>
>> Of course, their claim is ridiculous, but in court, we have to PROVE
>> it is
>> ridiculous -- otherwise, the court will probably accept their claim.
>> To
>> disprove their claim, we simply need to find a product with a recessed
>> rocker switch that was on the market before 1990. (And of course, we
>> need
>> to prove that it was on the market before 1990.)
>>
>> Friends have told me that recessed rocker switches were common on
>> early
>> computers, printers, and mainframe terminals.
>>
>> Copyright here is all about outlook. Here are two examples of
>> recessed
>> rockers switches with the outlook that we need:
>>
>> The first example:
>> http://www.auctionshoppingbot.com/misc/Recessed_Rocker_Switch.html
>>
>> The above is from a Canon copy machine.
>>
>> This example shows well all five key elements that we need:
>> 1) The rocker switch is mounted on a flat surface,
>> 2) The rocker switch is recessed beneath the surface,
>> 3) There is flat surface all around the recess,
>> 4) There is nothing else in the recess with the switch, and
>> 5) The area of the recess is bigger than the area of the switch but
>> not
>> excessively so.
>>
>> This would be prefect, except the copy machine is only a couple of
>> years
>> old ? too new to prove that recessed rocker switches were on the
>> market
>> before 1990. (I have contacted Canon, but as a company, it seems
>> they are
>> only interested in selling new machines.)
>>
>> The molded on/off symbols and the indicator light are not important.
>> We are
>> looking for an example product with or without the molded on/off
>> symbols and
>> the indicator light ? either is fine. For the switch rocker itself,
>> color
>> does not matter ? even clear plastic with illumination inside is OK.
>>
>> The second example:
>> http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=115
>> http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos.asp?t=1&c=115&st=1
>>
>> DEC 300 series computer from 1979. (On the second link, click on the
>> "close
>> up".) This is good, and we might use this. It would be perfect,
>> except the
>> Digital logo is right next to the switch (so this example does not
>> meet key
>> element #3). So for our purpose, this is only half good.
>>
>> If you know of any product from 1990 or before that had a recessed
>> rocker
>> switch that meets all five key elements, please let me know. As you
>> and
>> others you know are knowledgeable about old hardware, any information
>> you
>> could provide would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>> I hope to hear from you.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Rick Graves
>> Personal Rick_Graves_at_CompuServe.com
>>
>> Advanced Approach Ltd.
>> 1907 Westley Square, 48 Hoi Yuen Road
>> Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
>> Tel: +852 2372-0197 Fax: +852 2342-7197
>> e-mail: info_at_advanced-app.com.hk
Received on Sun Jun 29 2003 - 08:19:00 BST
