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

[Bill Gunshannon]

On 7/29/22 17:37, Chris Scheers wrote:
> Robert A. Brooks wrote:
>> On 7/28/2022 5:32 PM, Chris Scheers wrote:
>>
>>> FWIW:
>>>
>>> In the early 1990s, Lockheed purchased the Fort Worth division of 
>>> General Dynamics.
>>>
>>> At the time, they had VAXen everywhere.  From what I was told, when 
>>> they went to renew their licenses, DEC/Compaq (I don't remember which 
>>> it was at the time) said "What licenses?"
>>  As a DEC customer, I frequently purchased licenses and renewed 
>> support contracts.
>>
>> I don't know what "renew their licenses" means.
> 
> I apologize.  Late night, tired, bad wording.
> 
> They paid an annual software support contract.  From what I understand, 
> this was generally tied to machine/software specific licenses.
> 
> When they went to pay their annual renewal for the support contract, 
> DEC/Compaq said that the contracts were with General Dynamics and that 
> Lockheed had no rights to the software, much less to updates, even 
> though Lockheed had bought that General Dynamics division including all 
> assets.
> 
> This may just be standard corporate posturing and they did work it out 
> eventually, but it was jarring to the tech people involved.
> 

As has been stated here numerous times, transfer requires paperwork and
a fee.  VMS was never General Dynamics IP and thus Lockheed may have
bought the hardware but that did not include VMS.  Why do people find
this so hard to understand?

bill