An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill - Publications - News

Publications : An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill

Posted by MichaelMerkel on 2007/10/3 11:50:00 (3906 reads) News by the same author

Amiga Inc Speaks!

On Amiga Incs homepage Bill McEwen published an Open Letter To The Amiga Community.

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Author	Thread
Mikey_C	Published: 2007/10/3 11:56 Updated: 2007/10/3 11:56
Amigans Defender Joined: 11/19/2006 From: Cambridgeshire, UK. Comments: 2147	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill Fine, I read what Bill is saying, however, until I see something real and not just words, I won't be cheering from the rafters. I want action, not words, given Amiga inc's past track record, I am still waiting to be convinced. EDIT: Note to Members, keep it clean, no baiting, no name calling. If you can't do that, please go elsewhere.

amigacooke	Published: 2007/10/3 13:25 Updated: 2007/10/3 13:25
Just popping in Joined: 12/05/2006 From: Surrey Comments: 55	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill Agreed, until there is product I am not interested.

Shadowolf	Published: 2007/10/3 14:31 Updated: 2007/10/3 14:31
Just popping in Joined: 12/01/2006 From: Comments: 27	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill In my eyes that's a load of crap from the one entity that did not gave a rat's ass about OS4 so far. Would still be nice to be proven wrong but given the years back I can't see that happening. My only hope is that Hyperion wins that lawsuit and that subsequently Amiga Inc. ceases to exist.

rwo	Published: 2007/10/3 15:13 Updated: 2007/10/3 15:13
Not too shy to talk Joined: 12/01/2006 From: Skærbæk. Denmark Comments: 304	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill I really don't trust that man anymore. If they wanted OS4 out now, all they have to do is to grant ACube a licens and we have it tomorrow or as soon as they can press the CD's RWO

Ferry	Published: 2007/10/3 16:56 Updated: 2007/10/3 16:56
Just popping in Joined: 11/25/2006 From: Valencia, Spain Comments: 109	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill @rwo & shadowolf Ditto. I wont believe a single word coming from this man, I've done in the past and regretted. As said, I'd be happy to be proven wrong, butthat will only happen with actual, real products being produced and delivered. Anyway, I'd prefer 10 times out of 10 that HE wins, they are the only ones that have actually delivered something, not only empty promises, and the ones who have supported the community this far. What has AInc done at this respect? I'll tell you: _nothing_ Saluditos, Ferr?n

afxgroup	Published: 2007/10/3 17:01 Updated: 2007/10/3 17:01
Amigans Defender Joined: 12/02/2006 From: Taranto, Italy Comments: 1353	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill indeed.. these emails are really useless. i dno't think that someone can trust them anymore

Swisso	Published: 2007/10/3 17:14 Updated: 2007/10/3 17:14
Not too shy to talk Joined: 11/29/2006 From: Earth Comments: 261	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill He hasn't said anything to enlighten us on the forseeable future of OS4, OS5, or even hardware licences. They have had requests for OS4 to be run on existing hardware so why are they not granting the licences? If they are as committed to the Amiga community as they claim then now is the time to prove it. Relinquish the lawsuits, make a deal with Hyperion and A-cube,ACK and for that matter 'the Blue Team' and lets all bloody well get on with developing.

Ferry	Published: 2007/10/3 18:19 Updated: 2007/10/3 18:19
Just popping in Joined: 11/25/2006 From: Valencia, Spain Comments: 109	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill @Swisso Yep, IIRC they were asked in good faith by ACube for a license even when there were no lawsuit running and, instead of granting a license, they lately used that info to fight HE, punishing Amiga users and community in the process. Bah... Saluditos, Ferr?n.

ssolie	Published: 2007/10/3 18:35 Updated: 2007/10/3 18:35
Amigans Defender Joined: 11/26/2006 From: Canada Comments: 986	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill I see Amiga Inc. is claiming Hyperion has not taken care of their 3rd party developers. If that allegation is true it means Hyperion has money for lawyers but not for developers. I hope this is not the case. Perhaps Hyperion will make a public statement of their own in response to clear this up. The rest of the statement is of little interest. Show me the product.

benny	Published: 2007/10/3 19:20 Updated: 2007/10/3 19:20
Just popping in Joined: 12/08/2006 From: Netherlands Comments: 127	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill A lot of crap. Does he need to say this, so he thinks he can win the case against Hyperion ?

Billsey	Published: 2007/10/3 19:39 Updated: 2007/10/3 19:39
Not too shy to talk Joined: 12/03/2006 From: Beside the "Father of Waters", the Mississippi, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA Comments: 272	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill ssolie, Although we really do need to give them more time, I don't see any 3rd party developers posting to deny what AI seems to be claiming.

Billsey	Published: 2007/10/3 19:43 Updated: 2007/10/3 19:43
Not too shy to talk Joined: 12/03/2006 From: Beside the "Father of Waters", the Mississippi, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA Comments: 272	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill The responses thus far largely remind me of an attitude that seems to think that the public owns the Amiga, when that is clearly not the case. The parties to the lawsuit have every right to defend their interests, and whatever any of us might think about it is really quite irrelevant.

joerg	Published: 2007/10/3 20:55 Updated: 2007/10/3 20:55
Just can't stay away Joined: 12/01/2006 From: Germany Comments: 1928	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill @Billsey Quote: Although we really do need to give them more time, I don't see any 3rd party developers posting to deny what AI seems to be claiming. Does such an obvious nonsense really have to be denied explicitely? Without even having contacted the 3rd party developers first such claims are as just as laughable as pretentending to be interested in getting the AmigaOS4 sources, which they of course can't with the court case (if they win they can just stop Hyperion from releasing AmigaOS4, but not get the sources except for a few parts, for example the parts which are based on AmigaOS 3.x sources, which are useless without the rest) but could only get from the owners of the sources, and for a lot of AmigaOS4 parts that are the 3rd party developers.

Elwood	Published: 2007/10/3 21:12 Updated: 2007/10/3 21:12
Just can't stay away Joined: 12/09/2006 From: Lyon, France Comments: 1370	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill Quote: KMOS ... was and is a company with new financial wherewithal and new strengths. Then I really wonder why Garry Hare ran away pretty quickly from all this mess

derfs	Published: 2007/10/3 21:31 Updated: 2007/10/3 21:31
Not too shy to talk Joined: 11/27/2006 From: UK Comments: 283	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill so, Amiga has no interest in OS4? lets see.. documented evidence going back to 2003 trying to get it from hyperion. no, no interest what so ever.. also it seems if Amiga do win the court case, Hyperion or certain developers will hold parts of it to ransom, so it will be useless anyway. i dont see how OS4 can stay in one piece unless hyperion get it all, and then i dont see anything on a grand scale being done with it. that would mean no profits, and no developers being paid. time to go away and come back in a year i think..

LyleHaze	Published: 2007/10/4 1:19 Updated: 2007/10/4 1:19
Just popping in Joined: 11/24/2006 From: Central Georgia, USA Comments: 247	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill @Billsey, You are correct, the Amiga does not belong to the public. But perhaps one of the greatest assets of "Amiga", aside from the source to OS4, is the incredibly devoted followers of the Amiga OS. I think the purpose of this letter was to try and sway public favor in hte direction of AInc. Speaking only for myself, I care a great deal about the Amiga experience, and I am convinced that OS4 is the best future we have. I just can't get excited about the conflict anymore. If OS4 becomes available on any platform, I'll buy. I don't care anymore about the name, nor about the promises of what is not yet arrived. There's been too many empty words for me to believe any more. I'm quite lucky to have an AOne, and I use it daily while I wait. As far as credibility goes, I think we can each decide for ourselves who to believe. LyleHaze

RacerX	Published: 2007/10/4 3:54 Updated: 2007/10/4 3:54
Just popping in Joined: 04/23/2007 From: Parts Unknown, USA Comments: 179	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill Well said.

Rogue	Published: 2007/10/4 12:45 Updated: 2007/10/4 12:45
Quite a regular Joined: 11/24/2006 From: Comments: 624	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill Quote: also it seems if Amiga do win the court case, Hyperion or certain developers will hold parts of it to ransom, so it will be useless anyway. That statement is highly offensive. Yes, I take the liberty to apply that "certain developers" part to me, and plainly, that's an outrage. I have worked on my part of AmigaOS for a long time now, and that part is mine, by contract. I don't need someone to tell me I am holding it "hostage" or any such crap. It's mine, by right, and I do not need to listen to such crap that makes me appear like a criminal.

Mikey_C	Published: 2007/10/4 13:04 Updated: 2007/10/4 13:04
Amigans Defender Joined: 11/19/2006 From: Cambridgeshire, UK. Comments: 2147	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill @Rogue Can't say I disagree with your sentiment.

Plaz	Published: 2007/10/4 14:30 Updated: 2007/10/4 14:32
Just popping in Joined: 12/01/2006 From: Atlanta Comments: 80	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill Quote: have worked on my part of AmigaOS for a long time now, and that part is mine, by contract The legals on all this can really get your head spinning. Let me take a stab at a thought here.... Rougue and other contributors own their work, no arguments there from me. But then that means it doesn't belong to Hyperion who was contracted to write OS4. In a sense OS4 does not exist because Hyperion does not own the code that creates it. BTW, I wasn't impressed with the letter either. Show us some leadership and products, not words. Plaz

AmiKit	Published: 2007/10/4 17:16 Updated: 2007/10/4 17:17
Quite a regular Joined: 12/01/2006 From: Europe Comments: 532	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill @Rogue I thought that if someone creates something for a company, even though he's the author of the particular product/idea/code, it is the company who actually owns it. Unless the author hasn't been paid, of course.

joerg	Published: 2007/10/4 17:29 Updated: 2007/10/4 17:29
Just can't stay away Joined: 12/01/2006 From: Germany Comments: 1928	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill @Plaz Quote: Rougue and other contributors own their work, no arguments there from me. But then that means it doesn't belong to Hyperion who was contracted to write OS4. In a sense OS4 does not exist because Hyperion does not own the code that creates it. With this reasoning no version of AmigaOS exists ... Hyperion has the licences required to use all parts of AmigaOS4, just like Commodore did for AmigaOS 0.x-3.1 and Haage&Partner for AmigaOS 3.5 and 3.9. There never was any version of AmigaOS owned completely by anyone, not even AmigaOS 1.x which for example had a licenced speech system (narartor.device, translator.library, etc.) Commodore never owned, and removed again in AmigaOS 2.x because they didn't want to pay the licence fees for it anymore.

Hans	Published: 2007/10/4 17:35 Updated: 2007/10/4 17:37
Home away from home Joined: 01/26/2007 From: New Zealand Comments: 2797	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill @AmiKit Rogue doesn't actually work for Hyperion, he's a contractor. According to the contract, him and his brother own ExecSG. Hyperion has a binary only license, until they pay a specified amount, after which they will have the source-code too. I doubt that the Friedens would hold ExecSG hostage. They will have to be paid what they are owed though. Hans

joerg	Published: 2007/10/4 17:44 Updated: 2007/10/4 17:44
Just can't stay away Joined: 12/01/2006 From: Germany Comments: 1928	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill @AmiKit Quote: I thought that if someone creates something for a company, even though he's the author of the particular product/idea/code, it is the company who actually owns it. Only if the author of the code is an employee of the company. In case of external (sub-)contractors it depends on the contract, which may transfer the ownership of the code to the company, or just grant a (source and/or binary) licence to use the code - which is of course much cheaper.

Rogue	Published: 2007/10/4 18:45 Updated: 2007/10/4 18:45
Quite a regular Joined: 11/24/2006 From: Comments: 624	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill Quote: Rougue And here's me thinking I've seen all possible misspellings of my user name... :) Quote: But then that means it doesn't belong to Hyperion who was contracted to write OS4. In a sense OS4 does not exist because Hyperion does not own the code that creates it. Do you think that Windows XP or Vista is entirely made up of code that is owned by Microsoft? What about games that use e.g. LUA for scripting? Do they not exist?

Billsey	Published: 2007/10/4 19:28 Updated: 2007/10/4 19:28
Not too shy to talk Joined: 12/03/2006 From: Beside the "Father of Waters", the Mississippi, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA Comments: 272	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill Quote: That statement is highly offensive. Yes, I take the liberty to apply that "certain developers" part to me, and plainly, that's an outrage. Rogue, I can understand your feelings, and I confess that I do not know contract law (there is that possibility that the ownership threads its way out through the companies involved, then with payments, back in through those companies, but I don't know). I only ask that you keep in mind that the outraging comments do not come from Amiga, Inc. or their employees, but from we in the less than knowledgeable public. In short, please don't let yourself slide into blaming AI for what they have not said. You aren't there yet, and I just hope you never go there.

PulsatingQuasar	Published: 2007/10/4 19:54 Updated: 2007/10/4 19:54
Just popping in Joined: 08/09/2007 From: Comments: 29	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill It seems to me that any potential companies Amiga Inc. can do business with are starting to have doubt s about what they actually have and if they can be trusted. New hardware is being developed and ready to be developed in quantities!!!! Yeah, right. If that's true then you know it is working and have some sort of Linux running on it. So show it to us at Amiwest or another Amiga show. If not then just go away with your pitiful lies. Amiga Inc isn't a company. It doesn't have employees. It's nothing more than a tax tool. Amiga Anywhere.......huh...... better call it Amiga Nowhere. You have nothing.

Ferry	Published: 2007/10/4 22:07 Updated: 2007/10/4 22:07
Just popping in Joined: 11/25/2006 From: Valencia, Spain Comments: 109	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill @Billsey Quote: In short, please don't let yourself slide into blaming AI for what they have not said. Uh? Where have you read that from Rogue? Perhaps I'm unable to read or blind, but I have not seen a single word against AInc coming from Rogue in this thread.... Saluditos, Ferr?n.

Plaz	Published: 2007/10/4 22:51 Updated: 2007/10/4 22:51
Just popping in Joined: 12/01/2006 From: Atlanta Comments: 80	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill Quote: And here's me thinking I've seen all possible misspellings of my user name... :) Darn my sloppy typing, sorry they extra vowel. No extra charge for that however. Quote: Do you think that Windows XP or Vista is entirely made up of code that is owned by Microsoft? What about games that use e.g. LUA for scripting? Do they not exist? It's the legal status of it all that I'm trying to get my head around. With joerg's example and your's I think I have a better grasp now. So tell me if this is one scenerio that would make sense.... IF Amiga Inc payed Hyperion for their part of the code and binaries, and also licensed the other relavant properties directly from each contributing developer, all parties could be satisfied and OS4 could be released. I'm probably over simplifying things. I think the lawsuit shows that Amiga Inc intends to pay Hyerion one lump sum and expexts to collect all source from all parties. Plaz

Billsey	Published: 2007/10/5 3:28 Updated: 2007/10/5 3:28
Not too shy to talk Joined: 12/03/2006 From: Beside the "Father of Waters", the Mississippi, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA Comments: 272	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill @ Ferry: Did you try reading the next sentence (after the one you quoted)?

Rogue	Published: 2007/10/5 11:14 Updated: 2007/10/5 11:14
Quite a regular Joined: 11/24/2006 From: Comments: 624	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill Quote: I thought that if someone creates something for a company, even though he's the author of the particular product/idea/code, it is the company who actually owns it. Unless the author hasn't been paid, of course. That depends entirely on the contractual conditions, If the contract says "X retains ownership of the source code" then it is exactly that. Seriously, I don't know why people seem to think this so unusual. This kind of contract is very common elsewhere.

Rogue	Published: 2007/10/5 11:36 Updated: 2007/10/5 12:15
Quite a regular Joined: 11/24/2006 From: Comments: 624	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill Quote: there is that possibility that the ownership threads its way out through the companies involved, then with payments, back in through those companies, but I don't know I am sorry, but my contract is quite specific, it mentions the conditions for ownership transfer of my code to any other party. Quote: In short, please don't let yourself slide into blaming AI for what they have not said. With all due respect, you should really go back and read my comment again, then point out to me where I blamed anybody but derfs for his comment. Quote: You aren't there yet, and I just hope you never go there. Tt might be a good idea to review your statement and apply it to yourself as well... In any case, I didn't mean to discuss this news item or its content. I merely replied to someone that more or less labeled me (and others that spent a lot of time and effort on AmigaOS 4.0) as a criminal. Beyond that, I do not have anything to say. (edit: Toned it down a bit... I shouldn't have replied in the first place)

orgin	Published: 2007/10/5 12:22 Updated: 2007/10/5 12:23
Supreme Council Joined: 11/16/2006 From: Sweden Comments: 3294	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill @All Please continue the Rogue said this or that and contractual stuff discussion either in private or in the too hot to handle forum. Further comments on these issues here will be moderated.

DiscreetFX	Published: 2007/10/5 14:28 Updated: 2007/10/5 14:28
Just popping in Joined: 10/05/2007 From: Chicago Comments: 150	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill @Rogue Thanx so much for all the hard work you put into Amiga OS 4.0. It is a fantastic new version of the Amiga operating system.

pjs	Published: 2007/10/5 15:03 Updated: 2007/10/5 15:04
Not too shy to talk Joined: 12/02/2006 From: VA, USA Comments: 378	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill Bill McEwen and his cabal is just amazing and pathetic. Without neither the interest, dedication nor competence to do anything with Amiga OS desktop platform, they went around (for years?) proclaiming "the classic Amiga OS is dead!". The fact that someone else with the interest, dedication (!!!) and competence picked up the pieces of that "dead" OS and made something very desirable out of it has changed the Ainc clan's opinion. Now they want it. And with their utter failure to change the world with subcontracted card games on someone else's OS (now DEAD), they want AmigaOS bad! Without OS4, Ainc is nothing but an empty bottle with a tattered label. And Bill McEwen comes off like pathetic drunk that will just lie and say anything to get another drink. Amazing and pathetic. PJS

Billsey	Published: 2007/10/5 17:08 Updated: 2007/10/5 20:46
Not too shy to talk Joined: 12/03/2006 From: Beside the "Father of Waters", the Mississippi, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA Comments: 272	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill [Edit by orgin] If you want to talk moderation, then contact one of the moderators.

derfs	Published: 2007/10/6 0:48 Updated: 2007/10/6 10:02
Not too shy to talk Joined: 11/27/2006 From: UK Comments: 283	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill [Edit: This message has been PM'd to whom it was addressed]

_magic	Published: 2007/10/10 0:22 Updated: 2007/10/10 0:22
Not too shy to talk Joined: 11/26/2006 From: Comments: 420	Re: An Open Letter To The Amiga Community from Bill Quote: I want action, not words, given Amiga inc's past track record, I am still waiting to be convinced. As I said somewhere eles before, My 4 month old daughter can write a better statement than that. Heres an example: Gagaga,gaaaaaaaaaaaaa,gagagagaga,heheh,gagaga (mwaaaaaaaaaaaaa) < hungry cry.:P