[Info-vax] VAX VMS going forward

[Phillip Helbig undress to reply]

In article <memo.20200717185733.2644J at jgd.cix.co.uk>, jgd at cix.co.uk
(John Dallman) writes: 

> In article <reskgq$aup$2 at gioia.aioe.org>, helbig at asclothestro.multivax.de
> (Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)) wrote:
> 
> > I don't know how much it would cost.  Someone could collect money 
> > from those interested, say, $500 per person, and when a substantial 
> > sum comes together, ask HPE if they are interested.  If they say 
> > that it will cost more, then get more people to pay in and/or get 
> > them to pay more.
> 
> Do you think you can get 200 people to pony up $500 each? I think that's
> the minimum you'd need to have any chance of interesting HPE in doing the
> legal work. Their lawyers have plenty to do. 

I don't plan on doing it, but I don't think that that is completely 
unrealistic.  I'm sure that there are a couple of hundred people still 
running VAXen as a hobby, and $500 is probably less than they pay for a 
year of electricity for them.

Of course, someone would have to organize this, goto HPE and offer 
$100,000 in return for the production of such a license, and if they say 
no then refund at least almost all of the money.  Would such a license 
be only for those who paid?  If so, could they sell them?  If there is 
just one license, could the consortium make it available to others?  For 
a fee?  There would be many details to work out.