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

[Paul Sture]

In article <l2jlgg$8pc$1 at dont-email.me>,
 Simon Clubley <clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> wrote:

> On 2013-10-03, Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> wrote:
> >
> > Technically no.
> >
> > But it's also a different question from the one about distributing the 
> > software. I doubt HP would go after the people who downloaded, and was 
> > running the software. But the guy (or company) who was distributing 
> > it...? Who knows...
> >
> > Let us be clear here. Technically, according to law, we are not allowed 
> > to distribute it, nor run it without a license.
> >
> 
> I wonder what the legal situation is with Bitsavers which archives not
> only the public documentation, but also the binary OS kits as well.
> 
> If you look, you will see they have versions of RSX not covered by
> the Mentec license. As for me, I would like to play with the kits
> and there's nothing at a technical level stopping me, but morally
> I just don't feel it's right until after the licence issue is resolved.
> 
> However, at the same time, I don't see the same as applying to the public
> documentation; I don't see any reason why I cannot read through the public
> RSX documentation also available from Bitsavers.

I remember some pretty serious copyright statements on that 
documentation, for example "shall not reproduce in whole or part... 
without the express written permission of..."

> >
> > I find it depressing how willing some people are to ask others to gamble 
> > their whole financial future. And this in the country which is famous 
> > for financial lawsuits...
> >
> 
> You will get no argument from me on that one. (However, JF lives in
> Canada, not the US, unless he's moved).

I thought he lived in parallel universe.  He's claimed that honour 
himself on various occasions :-)

-- 
Paul Sture

IBM's Thomas J. Watson predicted a "world market for maybe five computers".
Given the way this whole Cloud thing is going, he might have been extremely
prescient.