[Info-vax] VSI has a new CEO

[Phillip Helbig undress to reply]

In article <53ebbf60-eee2-4c77-8c76-4b8e781dc475n at googlegroups.com>,
abrsvc <dansabrservices at yahoo.com> writes: 

> IRRC The license allowed you to use the software.  A support contract
> entitled you to patches and future versions. 

Right, though IIRC some licenses contained a right-to-upgrade clause. 
And with support, you had some expectation that they would fix bugs you
found. Also, in the old days, patches were officially freely available.*

> Where things get murky is like the following:
> 
> Year A:  Purchase OS license to run system without any support
> contract going forward. 
> 
> Year B:  Acquire a copy of a new version of the OS from a "friend".
>                Install/upgrade system from A to this new version. 
>                The license (since it was a perpetual license)
>                continues to work just fine. 

As usual, there is a difference between what works and what is allowed.

Not relevant here, but I was told that one was never required to 
purchase software; it was always OK to borrow an installation CD.

> I would posit that as of the upgrade, the system is illegal since the
> upgrade was never purchased either directly or via a support contract. 

I'll have to look whether the right-to-upgrade clause is there.  In any 
case, I'm not using it now since it has too few units.  (Hobbyist 
licenses now; must upgrade to VSI VMS and license before the end of the 
year!)

I also have some paper licenses given to me by people who gave me 
hardware; I just have to figure out where to pay the $300 transfer fee.
:-)

--
* Want to freak out someone from the early 1990s when you travel back to 
then in your time machine?  Tell them that in the future, VMS patches 
are not freely available, but there is unlimited free porn.  :-)