Business 8th Edition by Marianne Jennings

Exercise 8

Lotus 1-2-3 is a spreadsheet program that enables users to perform accounting functions electronically on a computer. Users manipulate and control the program with a series of menu commands such as "Copy," "Print" and "Quit" Lotus 1-2-3 has 469 commands arranged into more than 50 menus and submenus and includes what is known as a "macro" feature. Users can write a series of command choices that can then be executed with a single keystroke.
Borland introduced its Quattro spreadsheet program in 1987, after three years of development work by its engineers. Borland's objective was to build a superior spreadsheet program and take over the market, but its product contains an identical copy of the entire Lotus 1-2-3 menu tree. Borland does not dispute its inclusion; it simply notes that the Quattro system builds on the Lotus commands.
Lotus filed suit against Borland for infringement-Borland removed the interface part of its program, but Lotus contends the commands in the Quattro program are virtually the same as the Lotus program-just the first letters are different. Borland maintains the menus are not protected by copyright. Should they be protected? [ Lotus Dev. Corp. v Borland Int'l Inc., 49 F.3d 807 (1st Cir. 1995); cert, granted, 515 U.S. 1191 (1995). The Supreme Court deadlocked on the merits, resulting in an affirmance by an equally divided court; 516 U.S. 233 (1996)]