[Info-vax] [Attn: HP Employees] PDP-11 OS hobbyist licensing

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2013-10-01 17:17, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
> In article <l2eehl$opp$2 at iltempo.update.uu.se>,
> 	Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> writes:
>> On 2013-09-30 22:07, Rich Alderson wrote:
>>> Simon Clubley <clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> writes:
>>>
>>>> On 2013-09-29, Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> wrote:
>>>>> On 2013-09-30 01:13, Simon Clubley wrote:
>>>
>>>>>> PPS: Now if we could just sort out the PDP-11 OS hobbyist licensing
>>>>>> situation so we can clear up any licensing doubts about running them under
>>>>>> simh; simh has clearly maintained it's status as a decent quality emulator.
>>>
>>>>> Sure. Do you know the right people at HP, and could you please talk to them?
>>>
>>>> No I don't unfortunately.
>>>
>>>> However, I'm going to take this opportunity to ask the HP employees in
>>>> c.o.v if _they_ know who the correct person is to talk to as you have tried
>>>> various approaches and made comments for years about wanting to do something
>>>> about this.
>>>
>>> No one at HP has anything to do with the PDP-11.  Mentec bought the IP from
>>> Digital prior to the Compaq purchase, so HP never owned it.
>>
>> Unfortunately incorrect, Rich.
>> DEC sold the PDP-11 software to Mentec, but retained control over how
>> Mentec were allowed to spread the software.
>> That right has been transferred over to HP as a part of HP taking over
>> the remains of DEC.
>> Which is a big reason why no hobbyist licenses for the PDP-11 OSes
>> exist. They need approval from HP. Mentec could not do it by itself, and
>> neither can the current owners. It's all very sad.
>>
>
> That being the case, one must wonder just why they bought them!!

It does indeed beg the question. I have no idea.

I do not have lots of more information, and I wasn't at all involved.

	Johnny