Should I add a "Micro" PDP11/73 to the Herd?

From: Don Maslin <donm_at_cts.com>
Date: Thu Jun 22 17:46:41 2000

On Thu, 22 Jun 2000, Tony Duell wrote:

> [Software licenses and transfers]
>
> > Kindly take your free software whine elsewhere. If you want to write
> > software and give it away that's your business. If someone else wants to
>
> This has _NOTHING_ to do with free software.
>
> Nobody is denying %computer-company's right to be paid for their
> software. And for them to charge what the heck they like for their
> software. Or that it should be illegal to make copies of that software
> (other than for backups, etc)
>
> But if I go out and buy a book, or a video tape of a movie or a music CD
> or similar products, well, no I can't legally make copies of them. That's
> reasonable enough. But if I decide I no longer want that book/movie/CD
> then I can give it to my friend, I can sell it second-hand, etc.
>
> If I _rent_ a movie from the local video shop then I have it for a
> limited time that's agreed before I buy it. And obviously I can't pass it
> on to anyone else.
>
> Software licenses, though, are often like neither of those. It appears
> that I pay a one-off fee to %computer-company which lets _me_ use that
> software for as long as I want, but if I no longer want it, I can't
> give/sell it to anyone else (note : I am assuming here that I wouldn't be
> keeping a copy myself if I did this). This, I think, is the point that
> most people have a problem with.

And to thicken the plot a bit further, how about software that came
bundled with the machine, and was not specifically purchased by the
owner? The OEM can give it away as an inducement to purchase his
machine, but the purchaser cannot? Please!!!

                                                 - don
 
> It seems a little silly that if somebody no longer wants their PDP11 +
> software, they can give away the hardware but the new owner can't run the
> software, even though the previous owner could have goen on running the
> machine if he'd wanted to
>
> > write software and sell right to use licenses that's their business.
>
> It is theire business, but it doesn't mean I have to like it!
>
> -tony
>
>
Received on Thu Jun 22 2000 - 17:46:41 BST