Can you copyright software ideas?

After delving deep into the fundamentals of computing you begin to realise that many of the prejudices people have about Operating Systems are completely pointless.

This is because when it comes down to it, all OS types are fundamentally built using the same stuff. All the hype about whether Mac is better, or Windows, is completely misguided.

What many people don't realise is that far from being arch rivals, Apple and Microsoft have been in bed together since the late 80s. Mac pioneered a lot of the 'windowing' system we're all used to on desktop PCs nowadays. The two companies battled it out in courts after Apple accused MS of stealing their ideas.

Although this may have been the case, it proved a landmark decision for courts regarding copyright and software. The bedrock of this landmark is: you can't copyright an *idea* only the technology that supports it. So MS took an idea and built their own technology to support it. The court saw this and Apple did not win (they later settled).

Although Apple is 'prettier' than Windows (IMO), the fundamentals of Unix, Windows and Apple are all the same, especially as Apple is *just* another flavour of Unix. They were all designed to support the Personal Computer (as well as other types of computers). Any prejudices about OS are somewhat pointless, although we all have a favourite flavour.