TECHNOLOGY : Thieves Copy, Mail Apple’s Secret Code for Macintosh

CUPERTINO, Calif. â€”  The ultra-secret source code for Apple Computer Inc.’s Macintosh computer is being mailed illegally by a group of self-styled software liberators that may include Apple employees.

Company officials said Thursday that they are vigorously investigating the theft of the copyright code and will seek to prosecute the pirates to the fullest extent of the law.

“This is a serious criminal offense,� said Apple spokeswoman Carleen LeVasseur, adding that all company employees have been alerted about the investigation. “It is the basis of our intellectual property.�

Floppy disks with the code, which is supposed to be restricted to a small number of Apple employees, have been sent to various people.

The disk was accompanied by a letter signed by “the New Prometheus League (Software Artists for Information Dissemination)� that states:

“Our objective at Apple is to distribute everything that prevents other manufacturers from creating legal copies of the Macintosh.

“As an organization the New Prometheus League has no ambition beyond seeing the genius of a few Apple employees benefit the entire world . . . (and) not just dissipated by Apple through litigation and ill will.�

The letter also said the group will next distribute the complete source code to the Macintosh’s filing system and all drives, as well as codes to the computer’s memory and latest system software.

The group is named for the Greek Titan who stole fire from heaven and gave it to man. Prometheus was later chained and tortured by Zeus for the theft.

The disks were mailed from San Francisco without a return address. Apple said it first became aware of them on Tuesday.

The letter advises that “anyone interested in receiving our next mailing should place a classified ad in Macweek (a trade journal), with the word New Prometheus.�

Unlike some other computer makers, Apple has never licensed the source code to anyone and has aggressively and successfully defended its copyrights in court to prevent efforts by competitors to build a “clone,� or compatible computer, of the Macintosh.

‘A Nuisance’

“The code is protected by federal and state laws,� LeVasseur said. “It is not in the public domain. If anyone uses the code to make a clone illegally we will take action against them.

“We are also alerting our (software) developers that they could jeopardize their relationship with us if they use any of the proprietary codes.�