Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Apple Inc. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Linda Kaplan who wrote (11125)	4/13/1998 6:21:00 PM
From: Marc Newman	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 213173

Some thoughts on the MSFT patent deal, from one of my correspondents: <<I recall that CFO Anderson's TV interview with CNBC on that day contained a reference as well. He stated that, altho he couldn't be specific due to non-disclosure agreements, the patent payments were more significant than the announced investment by MS. He was suprisingly emphatic concerning the financial importance, probably since the reporting was so full of the typ. MS "investment" coverage. My impression was that since the payments were to be spread out they couldn't reach the threshold of "material" in typical results reporting. This is an easy threshold to miss in MS terms. My guess was that the totals were in excess of 300 mil...and everything helps. The agreement also contained the mutual licensing of existing and new patents for 5 years on both sides. Since MS had already breached these rights, they didn't have to remove the code from their OS. MS's acquisitions include patents making these technologies available to Apple if the deal was that favorable. Since it was "secret" we may not know until something obvious shows up. It may bep in the ancillory technechologies that MS utilizes in the OS that are patent based vs. copyrighted code which wasn't covered. Compatibility issues may be overcome in some areas of these patented technologies.>> This is how I remember it too and this part of the deal remains an interesting X-factor for Apple. Any CPA-types out there want to take a crack at how large payments could be before they would be material (to Apple, not Microsoft!)? Perhaps the payments are spread out over five years, the length of the patent sharing? Today was easy money in Apple--the stock always has at least a little run before earnings. The last time we didn't have a preannouncement (October) we ran up and then sold off about an hour before the close. And earnings were disappointing. Watch this closely. Marc

To: Linda Kaplan who wrote (11125)	4/13/1998 9:51:00 PM
From: Zen Dollar Round	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 213173

I'm still struck by all the parking spot comments by Amelio. He complained but followed the rules; nether broke nor changed them. Steve broke them, parking in a spot for the handicapped. They both knew the parking rules were not appropriate for them. I guess we ought to add that question to the CEO application form. I remember a little story about this. Apparently a programmer or some other Apple employee was miffed at Mr. Jobs for taking liberties with the handicapped parking spot at Apple, so he/she put a sign on the car that said, "Park Different." He doesn't park there anymore (maybe, in part, to the sign). Jobs knows the value of good morale within a company, and perhaps he realized others were taking notice of his parking habits.