Jack Stein wrote in a message to Steven Thompson:

 JS> Steven Thompson wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 JS> How about an alternative OS/2 OS?  Wouldn't that be neat?  Sort of the
 JS> OS/2 version of LINUX.  Oh, and never say never!

 ST> Something tells me that IBM wouldn't allow it...

Not that they would have a choice in the matter.

 ST> Number one, to run OS/2 programs, it would have to be licensed 
 ST> by IBM, 

No.

 ST> and also, you wouldn't be able to call it OS/2. 

No,  you would't,  but you could refer to OS/2 as long as you acknowledge
IBM's ownership of that trademark.

 ST> IBM may not care about OS/2, but that doesn't mean they won't
 ST> protect their trademarks.

Right.  But that doesn't mean that this can't be done.

 JS> You heard of LINUX right?  AT&T owned that, lock stock and 
 JS> barrel, 

No.  AT&T owned _unix_,  which is not at all the same thing.

 JS> yet, Linus managed to clone the damn thing, didn't he?

Yeah he did.  Which is why I don't see a problem with the same thing happening 
with OS/2.  All it needs is enough technically competent people to put the
effort in.  Whether _that_ will happen is another question entirely,  though.

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