Prentice-Hall exclusive?

[Dimitri Rotow]

In article <4837 at mtgzz.att.com>, avr at mtgzz.att.com (a.v.reed) writes:
[ my earlier comment that PH got an exclusive on UNIX manual printing
  deleted ...]

> 
> An exclusive to Prentice Hall? I doubt it, especially since UNIX-related
> stuff is usually available either to anyone willing to pay for it, or to
> no-one, with the possible exception of academic researchers, outside the
> company. I know for a fact that CBS College Publishing, and its Holt,
> Rinehart and Winston subsidiary, also publich reprints of AT&T UNIX(R)
> documentation; there may be others.
> 
> 					Adam Reed (avr at mtgzz.ATT.COM)

The exclusive is apparently for distribution of UNIX manuals as
commercially printed books outside of their utilization as manuals 
accompanying licensed code.  I can't say exactly since neither AT&T
nor Prentice Hall will let me read the contract between the two :).

Under our license, we can ship up to two sets of manuals to any 
licensee of the software.  If we pay the MCG set up fee (ie, the right
to reprint documentation beyond the basic two sets), we also get to
ship additional copies *to software licensees* for an additional 
charge per set.

We do not get to ship the UNIX books to a bookstore for sale just as
a book set, although we have received numerous requests to do so.  That,
apparently is what AT&T sold to PH.  I know that the CBS books are 
also out there, but they are apparently limited to pre -Release 3.0
editions.

I don't think, by the way, that AT&T did a bad thing in this deal 
with PH, because PH has been instrumental in getting System V books
out to the general public.  It's only fair that they got some 
incentive to take the risk of publishing the immense line of terrific
UNIX books that they did.  Just think, it save them from the unholy
fate of pandering to the OS/2 market :).  Now they get to impress all
of their friends with the sheer elan of being the world's pre-eminent
UNIX publisher!

- dimitri