The ups and downs of look and feel
Pamela Samuelson · Communications of the ACM · 1993
The Ups and Downs of Look and Fe"' Just over a year ago, it seemed as if Apple might succeed with its look and feel claim against Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard.It also appeared that look and feel was not at issue in the Lotus vs. Borland case.Now Apple's claim appears to be out the window, and the "feel" part of look and feel has been added to the Lotus vs. Borlandsuit.Last September's "Legally Speaking" column provided an update on the major look and feel lawsuits.It was composed with the expectation that no significant developments would happen in these two cases until they reached the appellate courts, which seemed far off into the future.Unfortunately, by the time the column appeared in print some months after it was submitted, it was already out of date.September's column was current to June 1992.In late July and early August of 1992, new opinions were issued in Apple vs. Microsoft and Lotus vs. Borland.In each case, litigants requested the judges presiding over their cases to reconsider rulings each had rendered in the spring of 1992.Apple probably hoped that Judge Walker would, upon reflection, come to regard his April ruling "from the bench" (that is, orally delivered in open court) as impulsive and wrong.One -COMMUNICATIONSOIITNIACM/Apri|