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

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2013-10-02 22:23, glen herrmannsfeldt wrote:
> Bill Gunshannon <bill at server3.cs.scranton.edu> wrote:
>> In article <524b2edb$0$61281$c3e8da3$5e5e430d at news.astraweb.com>,
>>         JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot at vaxination.ca> writes:
>
>>> Does the source of the PDP-11 operating systemns have any value today ?
>
>> Irrelevant.
>
> Is it really? Fair use takes into consideration the value and/or loss
> to the copyright holder. There are other considerations, too, but the
> loss is a pretty important one.

Yes, it is irrelevant. Because "fair use" do not apply here. "Fair use" 
is about quoting/copying select parts of larger works. You cannot copy a 
whole book and claim it to be "fair use".

How would you deal with the software? Just copy small parts of it, and 
for the purpose of critically examine it, instead of running it?

>>> If a company does not protect its IP and keeps a blind eye to breaches
>>> of copyright/patent infringement, it loses the right to defend that
>>> IP/copyright later on.
>
>> 1.  That is not necessarily so.  Try it and see where you end out.
>> 2.  It still isn't "public domain" as that is a very specific legal
>>     concept and the requirements are spelled out plainly in many
>>     places.
>
> I am pretty sure it is true for trademark. If you don't protect
> them you can easily lose them. I believe also for patents, but
> I am not so sure about that. I don't know about copyright.

You never "loose" your copyright. It expires at a later point. Currently 
it is 70 years after you die in most countries. Not sure how that 
translates to companies though...

	Johnny

-- 
Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se             ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol