Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 11:58:21 -0500 From: Chris Hagin To: Multiple recipients of list GLB-NEWS Subject: Apple seeks to censor CD because gays-abortion are mentioned COMPILED FROM NEWS WIRE SERVICES Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 Software developer: Apple censoring disk -- At issue: CD-ROM looks at American history. Apple Computer Inc., regarded as one of the nation's most liberal big corporations, is being charged with censorship by a small software developer. Voyager Co. of New York contends that Apple has dropped an American history CD-ROM from a bundle of software sold to schools because Voyager wouldn't remove references on the disk to homosexuality, birth control and abortion. But Stacey Byrnes, a spokeswoman for Apple at its Cupertino headquarters, disputed Voyager's account of the incident. Apple has not made a final decision, according to Byrnes, and is still distributing the CD-ROM. The fight involves ``Who Built America?,'' based on a two-volume book of the same name, covering 1876 to 1914. The book and CD-ROM recount the nation's rapid expansion and industrialization through the eyes of ordinary people -- including a gay immigrant fleeing persecution in his native Germany and a New York woman recounting her 12 painful abortions. The CD-ROM won a prize last month from the American Historical Association, which cited it as ``the most outstanding contribution to the teaching and learning of history in any field for public or educational purposes.'' Apple's involvement began in December when the company first distributed ``Who Built America?'' as part of a package sold to elementary, junior high and high schools. A month later, according to the Voyager news release, Apple told Voyager it had ``received complaints about `Who Built America?' because of its discussion of homosexuality, abortion and birth control at the turn of the century.'' ``Apple asked Voyager to make available a version with these subjects edited out,'' the news release continued. ``Voyager refused, but offered to send schools which don't like `Who Built America?' any CD-ROM from Voyager's catalog. Voyager also proposed that `Who Built America?' be bundled only with computers for high schools and libraries. Apple rejected both these suggestions.'' On Jan. 31, Voyager spokesman Braden Michaels said, Apple told Voyager it would no longer distribute ``Who Built America?'' to the schools. Michaels also said Apple refused several requests by Voyager to provide details on the number and nature of the complaints. Byrnes, the Apple spokeswoman, said it is not Apple's policy to give out that type of information. ``This isn't an issue of censorship,'' Byrnes said. Apple makes decisions on what software to distribute, she added, ``based on customer satisfaction and customer feedback.'' The fight between Voyager and Apple could end what has been a close corporate friendship. Voyager, which specializes in ``edutainment'' software on art, music and history, was one of the first developers to release a large number of CD-ROMs for the Macintosh and has continued to support the Macintosh while other developers have defected to the rival Windows format. Apple has returned the favor, occasionally using Voyager software to demonstrate the performance of its hardware.