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

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2013-10-03 02:18, JF Mezei wrote:
> On 13-10-02 16:27, Rich Alderson wrote:
>
>> 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.
>
> The other question is whether DEC/Compaq/HP retained mere rights to use
> the IP in the PDP 11 operating systems (and self issue licencxes sor
> internal use), or whether they retained ownership over the IP and merely
> grant Mentex/XX2247 the right to sell licenses.
>
> Did Mentec do any development and issue new version of the PDP11
> operating systems ?  If so, this may indicate that DEC/Compaq/HP do not
> have a large amount of control over it, especially if the software was
> sufficiently modified by mentec over the years to become original art
> owned by Mentec.

Mentec did lots of development over the years. For RSX-11M-PLUS, the 
last DEC release was V4.4, back in 1993. Mentec then release V4.5 in 
1995 or so, and V4.6 in 1999.

The problem, however, is that there are technology and software in there 
that DEC somehow wanted to retain control over, so while Mentec "owned" 
it, they could not spread it on outside of the PDP-11 products, without 
approval from DEC.
(Loosely phrased, and with some private interpretation based on things 
I've been told)

I've also heard claims about DEC receiving some money for each RSX 
license, but I don't know if that was true or not. But if true, then it 
might be problematic to hand the software out for free as well, if HP 
legally still would be entitled to some sum for each license...

	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