The UNIX® License Plate
The Unexpected History of an Iconic Piece of Tech Memorabilia
In 1980, Bill Shannon, a UNIX engineer at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), registered his new Datsun 280ZX with a vanity license plate: "UNIX". This simple act would spark the creation of one of the most iconic pieces of tech memorabilia.
Armando P. Stettner, a fellow DEC engineer with a marketing flair, was looking for a giveaway for an upcoming USENIX technical conference. Inspired by a Florida "Sunshine State" plate, he decided to create a fake license plate as a handout.
The fact that "Live Free or Die" was New Hampshire's state motto made the choice even more fitting. Armando felt the phrase met the minimalistic and libertarian orientation of UNIX.
Armando laid out the design, and his manager, Bill Munson, approved the project despite the highly unusual decision to not mention DEC anywhere on the plate. The first batch of 3,000 plates were distributed at the conference and were an immediate hit.
A Legal Near-Miss
Shortly after, Bill Munson received a letter from Western Electric (WeCo) claiming trademark violation. However, a call from WeCo's head of UNIX licensing quickly followed, telling him to ignore the letter—it was a necessary formality. The WeCo manager loved the plates and even requested some for his own group.
The Plate's Evolution
Digital published several versions over the years, mostly changing the trademark notation. For a short time, they even replaced "UNIX" with "Ultrix" (their own UNIX version).
- TRADEMARK OF BELL LABS
- TRADEMARK OF AT&T BELL LABS
- TRADEMARK OF X/OPEN
A Legacy Passes On
When Bill Shannon moved west to help start Sun Microsystems, Armando Stettner registered the New Hampshire "UNIX" vanity plate for his own Toyota Celica Supra. He kept the plates until a California Highway Patrol ticket for an out-of-state registration forced his hand.
In late 1988, Jon "maddog" Hall, another DEC engineer, wondered if the plate was available. He went directly to the New Hampshire DMV and was overjoyed to find his first choice, "UNIX", was free. The plate was on his Jeep Wrangler for twenty years before being transferred to another, where it remains today.
Over the years, many plates were made and distributed. They hung over sysadmins' desks, in programmers' offices, and in universities worldwide. A copy of the plate is in the Smithsonian and the Computer History Museum.
Postscript from Armando:
"When I got UNIX registered on my car, the New Hampshire DMV gave me a cardboard form and hand wrote UNIX in magic marker on it. I was to use that until my real plates came. I actually used a DEC UNIX license plate on the back of the car for about 7 weeks... I was never stopped."
Acknowledgements
The Open Group thanks Jon "maddog" Hall for sharing the story of the UNIX® license plate, and also to Armando Stettner for his feedback and suggestions.