Christie's auction and other computer history events

[Paul Koning]

>>>>> "James" == James E Cosper <James> writes:

 James> IBM was not concerned about the equipment being 'stolen' so
 James> much because all the punch cards were produced in the US and
 James> exported. (Reminds me of printer ink cartridges).  "In the
 James> manufacture of cards, special machinery is needed. No one but
 James> an IBM affiliate can make IBM cards because in Germany the
 James> contracts contain a clause that the German customer cannot use
 James> cards except those of IBM manufacture...".

That's pretty comical -- the notion that those contracts would mean
anything at all in war.

I don't believe that special machinery is needed to make punched
cards anyway, but even if there were, certainly that machinery could
be reproduced in Germany, and so what if the contract says otherwise?

   paul