Apple, UMAX Agree on Software Rights

Apple Computer Inc. and clone maker UMAX Computer Corp. said they have reached an agreement over rights to the latest version of the Macintosh operating system. The announcement came a week after Apple bought the main assets of Power Computing Corp., the most successful maker of Mac copy-cat computers. The accord allows UMAX, Taiwan’s largest computer equipment maker, to include Mac OS 8 on UMAX computers under the terms of UMAX’s current licensing agreement, which runs through July of next year. It doesn’t include the rights to use Mac OS 8 on its new hardware architecture known as CHRP. Cupertino-based Apple and UMAX, whose U.S. operations are based in Fremont, said in brief statements that the new accord does not give the clone maker rights to use the Mac system with new machines built according to a standard called the common hardware reference platform, which was developed by Apple, Motorola Inc. and IBM Corp. UMAX has been one of the leading makers of Mac clones, which have been eating into Apple’s sales. Apple has been talking with clone makers about extending licensing agreements to include the Mac OS 8, a major upgrade of the software that controls a Macintosh’s basic functions. Apple shares fell 69 cents to close at $21.50 on Nasdaq.