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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I suggest you let your opinion known
here:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Astrolabe-Astrology-Software-and-Services/52527078715?sk=wall&filter=1"><FONT
size=2
face=Arial>http://www.facebook.com/pages/Astrolabe-Astrology-Software-and-Services/52527078715?sk=wall&filter=1</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>-------</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>This lawsuit is in part a vendetta against me and
my use of the Olson time zone database for the Terran Atlas and you
will see why below.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>In 2005, my software had breakthrough success
because the implementations that I had suggested to Astrolabe, Esoteric
Technologies, etc since 1995 went unheeded and I eventually decided to program
it for myself. That is the same time (2005) the offers for hiring
came from several of the top companies including Astrolabe.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Gary Christen (CEO of Astrolabe) tried to hire
me on three separate occasions and I refused. When Astrolabe
obtained the ACS Atlas (when ACS went bankrupt in July 2008), I was
concerned that I wouldn't have an atlas for my software anymore. The last
time that they tried to hire me, the ACS Atlas became leverage to
coerce me into working for them because I had no guarantee that they would give
me access to the ACS Atlas. When I refused the last
time, I managed to obtain a verbal agreement that I would
send my customers to them for a special discount on the ACS Atlas and was
relieved for a while. But over the next several months, my customers
started complaining about the run around they were getting on the special deal
that Gary promised my customers. Eventually one of my customers said that
he thought that Astrolabe was trying to make me look bad and disadvantage my
business by making it difficult to obtain the stand alone version of the
ACS Atlas which is required by my software (but not Solar Fire which has the ACS
Atlas bound with it). He was so fed up with the run around Astrolabe
gave him that he formatted a database of latitudes and longitudes for me
and asked me to add it to my software. That got me back on the issue of
researching time zones after which I found the Olson time zone
database. I subsequently found from the Olson sources that the
ACS data was extremely unreliable, much more than I previously
thought.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>A few days after I released the Terran Atlas I got
the following email from Gary Christen (which has inaccuracies in it, but keep
in mind this copy was forwarded to his lawyers):</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>-------</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Hi Curt,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Kirk Kahn just sent this link to me and it is very
disturbing.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A href=""><FONT color=#0066cc size=2
face=Arial>http://astrology-x-files.com/terranatlas.html</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0066cc size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>You, of all people know that we have invested
serious $ into the ACS <BR>Atlas and have given you and your customers very good
pricing for its <BR>purchase. We have also been doing serious investment
into re-writing <BR>this copyrighted code.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>We have an obligation to the Michelsen-Simms Trust
and to ourselves to <BR>legally protect this data base. While another entity may
have illegally <BR>published some of this material into the public domain, that
does make <BR>subsidiary use of pirated material legal for any
party.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>We will be investigating the Olsen work, as it has
just come to our <BR>attention. There is no instance where any portion of the
Atlas has been <BR>given permission to be brought into the public domain. Such
use is <BR>theft, as we understand it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The research into the past time zone changes and
time usage by Neil <BR>Michelsen, Thomas Shanks, the Pottenger brothers and
countless hired <BR>researchers was financially paid for by ACS at great expense
and went on <BR>for many years. Many of the sources used, we know, are no longer
extent <BR>and cannot be re-created by any means. The bankruptcy of ACS and the
<BR>years leading up to it have been a low point in the ACS Atlas research
<BR>and development. Since assuming ownership 2 years ago, we have been
<BR>involved in legal proceedings concerning the Atlas and have spent the
<BR>time since this spring doing major upgrades to the entire code base.
<BR>While we are correcting some errors in overseas tables, these areas are
<BR>being greatly expanded.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>It is very easy to take what seems to be public
information and cobble <BR>together something new. One only has to copy and do
the details. <BR>However, the historical information underlying the time tables
is still <BR>owned by Astrolabe and the Michelsen-Simms Trust and re-creating it
<BR>without the aid of copying Thomas Shanks' life work would be very hard
<BR>indeed. And he, as well as the Pottenger brothers still get royalties
<BR>for all uses of the work, so this is stealing from them as
well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>One can self justify for any activity and twist
morals at will. You are <BR>quite aware that this is an ethical violation as
well as a legal one as <BR>you made no attempt to consult with us as to rights
and legalities. What <BR>looks like a loophole is, in turn, a sleazy rat hole
that reveals poorly <BR>thought out intentions and damaging
actions.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Astrolabe wants you to withdraw this product and
publish a disclaimer. <BR>We will be legally following up on this and the
sources. The fact that <BR>the authors you have utilized publish their sources
and cite ACS will <BR>not sit well and is not an excuse for usage. This area is
not about <BR>academic material where simple citing of other people's work
allows <BR>reference. The providence of ownership of this material is well
documented.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Thank you for your attention,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Gary Christen, President, Astrolabe,
Inc.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>-------</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The reality is that when I visited Cape Cod, I was
never told about any financial dealings involving the ACS Atlas. They
wanted me to do tech support and possibly reformat the ACS database or
have Ray White do it. But I was given no guarantees. They
offered me 20% on sales of Delphic Oracle but saying not to expect much in the
way of sales because it was a fringe market. Then they asked me to load my
software onto one of their computers without an agreement in place in Oct 2008
and that is when I knew that I couldn't go through with it because I could have
been fired or laid off without recourse 3 weeks later lacking access to
even my own code.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I also have reason to believe that ACS was well
aware of the existence of the Olson time zone database and they made no attempt
to sue. It was one of their bragging rights saying that it was in use
outside of the astrology industry as an indication of how accurate it was!
I have not been able to locate this statement but it might still be on the
waybackmachine for ACS (Astro Communications Services which should be
astrocom.com).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Their goal is to keep myself and other astrology
software developers from developing their own time zone databases in order to
force us into their monopoly and maintain the supremacy of Solar Fire over
other applications. The story is a long ugly one dating back to about 1995
with many attempts to steal my work, but the truth will come out and Arthur and
myself will be vindicated.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Let me know if I can be of any help.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Sincerely,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Curtis Manwaring</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>CEO / software engineer</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Zoidiasoft Technologies,
LLC</FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>