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

[Rich Alderson]

Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> writes:

> On 2013-09-30 22:07, Rich Alderson wrote:

>> 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.

This conflicts somewhat with what I was told at the time that XX2247 acquired
the PDP-11 IP from Mentec (by people intimately involved), but I'm willing to
believe that misunderstandings existed on several sides.

In any case, it is possible to purchase licenses for PDP-11 software from the
current owner.  How much he wants to charge for licenses is up to him.  We are
running fully licensed software.

I do believe that one reason for lack of answers from HP may be that they do
not have the right to issue licenses, that being one of the things which Mentec
acquired from Digital and which XX2247 purchased in turn.  But that is only my
own opinion, and should not be taken as any more than that.

-- 
Rich Alderson                                   news at alderson.users.panix.com
    the russet leaves of an autumn oak/inspire once again the failed poet/
    to take up his pen/and essay to place his meagre words upon the page...