[Info-vax] VAX VMS going forward

[Terry Kennedy]

On Monday, July 20, 2020 at 10:18:44 AM UTC-4, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 7/17/2020 4:05 PM, Terry Kennedy wrote:
> > I would expect to see someone pull a rabbit full of non-expiring VAX
> > hobbyist licenses out of a hat sometime shortly before or after the
> > HP final expiration date. There are a large number of people capable
> > of easily doing this. The issue becomes how someone anonymously and
> > untraceably makes these available to the community.
> 
> And illegal.
> 
> > I have no idea if this is still the current status, but it is the
> > latest I could find on copyright.gov:
> > https://www.copyright.gov/1201/docs/librarian_statement_01.html
> > 
> > Note exemption number 3: "Computer programs and video games
> > distributed in formats that have become obsolete and which require
> > the original media or hardware as a condition of access." That may be
> > applicable to the current situation.
> 
> I don't think that says what you think it says.

I am not a lawyer. I just posted the first result from a US government site that seemed relevant to what I had heard several years ago, the first time that exception came around. If you don't think it is relevant, then lobby for a change to meet your definition the next time it comes up for renewal (happens every 3 years).

And I am NOT trying to "annoy" VSI. In fact, I have never communicated with them about the VAX situation, although I did offer them money for a non-commercial/hobbyist type license, and they said at the time that they had not even started discussing it among themselves. 

I do note, however that:
1) They have no interest/ability/legal standing to do anything about VAX/VMS.
2) Their commercial license for Alpha is a 'everything and the kitchen sink' license for everything (confirmed with several of their real customers). IA64 is still individual licenses, AFAIK, but that is a platform HP is (or was- see the "no answer to a hardware support call" post in this group) still selling/supporting.
3) I believe I remember VSI saying there would never be a "cluster compatibility kit" for VAX/VMS both due to its age and their inability to release patches for VMS releases they didn't build themselves. 
4) I also think I remember that at one time VSI said that LMF might not be the licensing implementation on x86 VMS.

However, since enough of you feel that this is a danger to whatever hobbyist program VSI might eventually offer, feel free to sacrifice your VAXen on the altar of your choice. You can always go visit a real VAX with non expiring licenses (granted by HP) at your local computer museum. Oh, wait... I only know of 3- the LCM, which may be a casualty of the pandemic, the CHM which does not exhibit a running VAX, or the LSSM (where I do my best to keep their VAXen running).

I've said my piece now. Maybe someone will do what I mentioned at the beginning of all this and issue non-expiring VAX PAKs (HP or someone else like the VLF) but it won't be (and wouldn't have been) me.