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To: DownSouth who wrote (29274)	8/2/2000 1:01:27 PM
From: Thomas Mercer-Hursh	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 54805

if an Oracle clone RDBMS was developed that provided an RDBMS software platform that would transparently support software developed written with Oracle development tools, no doubt, Oracle would successfully pursue legal remedies that would put that firm out of business Yes and no. Leaving aside the administration portion, which I do not believe would need to be a clone (in fact, it would be better if it wasn't), applications access Oracle and any other database at a number of different levels. If those applications use generic SQL, which many try to do for the bulk of their access, then any standard SQL database can be substituted. To the extent that those applications make use of Oracle-specific SQL extensions, one may not be able to drop in another database today, but I do not believe that those extensions are copyright ... in fact, most companies that develop SQL extensions make an effort to get them adopted as optional extensions to the standard because they don't want to be in the position of pushing non-standard product. The place where Oracle apps tend to get really locked, though, is in the use of stored procedures using Oracle's proprietary language. That probably is copyright and has only a limited connection with SQL standards. One can make a strong argument against the use of stored procedures, but they are very common among shops that don't mind being tied to Oracle since they were historically one way to achieve performance in client/server. With N-tier applications, the reason for them has been largely eliminated. Not to mention that I would guess that a minority of applications running against an Oracle database used Oracle tools in development.

To: DownSouth who wrote (29274)	8/2/2000 6:07:47 PM
From: Mike Buckley	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 54805

Jerry, I should have known to be more specific regarding my IPR comment instead of using the broad brush. I meant to use Softie as an example that it wasn't their IPR that made DOS and Windows so successful. Lots and lots of companies had competing product. And as you know, Windows came along long after Apple's OS upon which the look and feel of Windows was designed. Using just that one example, it's not the IPR that is required. It's the product adoption. --Mike Buckley P. S. Being a nit-picker myself, you're doing a fine job of that on your own. :)