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

[JF Mezei]

On 13-10-02 18:27, Johnny Billquist wrote:

> 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...

If a party releases the software to the public without asking HP, then
HP definitely can sue and likely win.

If the party asks HP and HP responds with "No you can't, we'll sue you
if you do", and the party still releases the software, then it is a no
brainer infringement.

If HP responds with "yes you can", and then sues the party for
infringement, the party has the letter to defend itself.

But if HP does not respond, and the party can show due diligence and
multiple attempts to get an answer from HP, a judge will have to use
something called "judgement" (that is what judges are there for :-).
The argument that HP has abandonned claims of ownership through lack of
response becomes important.

Remember that Mentec/XX2247 have many rights over the software. So it
isn't like a hacker coming in and stealing the software and making it
public.

With regards to people who steal music. When that music is for sale in
stores/iTunes, then stealing it deprives the industry of revenues and
has direct harm. Same for movies.

Making the source of the PDP11 operating systems public will not deprive
anyone of revenues and if any, might in fact generate puzz/pbhlicity for
those old machines and increase chances that XX2247 might increase its
revenues from it.