[Info-vax] VMS VAX License for personal Microvax 3100 Model 40

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2022-07-29 20:04, abrsvc wrote:
> On Friday, July 29, 2022 at 1:53:10 PM UTC-4, Dave Froble wrote:
>> On 7/29/2022 1:42 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>>> On 2022-07-29, Dave Froble <da... at tsoft-inc.com> wrote:
>>>> On 7/29/2022 8:56 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>>>>> On 2022-07-28, David Goodwin <dgso... at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> And maybe VSI will some day buy out VMS completely and make historic
>>>>>> releases available in some form rather than letting the few remaining valid
>>>>>> permanent licenses slowly vanish as companies throw them out or
>>>>>> hobbyists (who bought new or had them transferred) die without transferring
>>>>>> them on to someone else.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sorting out the rights to the third-party IP within VMS may be a problem
>>>>> if that ever happens.
>>>>>
>>>>> Simon.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> There should be no issues.
>>>>
>>>> As stated, VSI has the right and capability to issue a new version of VAX/VMS,
>>>> and then issue licenses (of any type) for the new version.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Read the above again.
>>>
>>> The suggestion above is about VSI buying out VMS completely from HPE.
>>>
>>> In that situation, issues around third-party IP most certainly do come
>>> into play.
>> Possibly. Possibly not. Compaq bought DEC. HP bought Compaq. Were there any
>> third party IP issues there? Perhaps Compaq and HP illegally issued VMS
>> licenses? Fun questions.
>>
>> But VSI does not need to do any "buy-out" in order to issue a VAX/VMS version.
>> -- 
>> David Froble Tel: 724-529-0450
>> Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc. E-Mail: da... at tsoft-inc.com
>> DFE Ultralights, Inc.
>> 170 Grimplin Road
>> Vanderbilt, PA 15486
>  From what I recall, VSI bought the rights to Alpha and Itanium along with the rights to create the X86 variants.  VSI does not have the rights to do anything with VAX versions at all.  HP retains the rights to allow/disallow any licensing for VAX machines or emulated VAXes.  All licensing for these are handled through HP Financial.  This includes both the purchase of licenses as well as transfers.

That was the belief of a lot of people, but VSI (or people from VSI) 
publicly corrected that belief in this newsgroup some time ago. They do 
have the rights also to the VAX bits. But there isn't even a snowballs 
chance in hell that they will build a new VAX version, it has been said.
And VSI cannot issue any licenses for HPE versions of VMS, which is why 
the VAX is in such a limbo.

   Johnny