[TUHS] Trade Secrets and Copyrights [was History of cal(1)]

[steve jenkin via TUHS]

> On 21 Sep 2025, at 07:13, Clem Cole via TUHS <tuhs at tuhs.org> wrote:
> 
>   However, the moment the ACM paper was published, in July 1974, or
> Bach's 1986 book came out, AT&T could no longer call the UNIX IP a trade
> secret.

For those like me that missed this textbook:

Full text on Internet Archive, 485 pp
	<https://archive.org/details/DesignUNIXOperatingSystem/mode/2up>

Q: 
Bach in his Preface (p10) notes the book is based on an internal
Bell Labs course he gave, including exercises.

He also notes the two special issues of BSTJ 1978/1984 on UNIX.

Did he have to get clearance to write / publish the book
from Bell Labs management: I don’t know their policies.

Is that correct?

Which seems like a deliberate corporate act to publish
the UNIX  ’trade secrets’.

This is ancient history and irrelevant now
	- the legal fights are over :)

Not trying to prosecute what’s past,
seeking clarity.

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