I have to make one point here, then I'll slink back into lurk mode.
Using the book analogy would not necessarily mean that your licensed
software was legally bound to the *CPU* the way the contents of a book
are bound to the paper. Making it legally bound to the CPU would be
like making the contents of the book legally bound to the room in
which you read it; you sell the house, the book goes with it; you
want to sell the book, sell the house.
Wouldn't it make more sense to have the software contents legally
bound to the original media on which it was delivered? This is how
books work, and (I think) how most people expect software licensing
to work.
Licensing to the CPU was just another way to make sure nobody could
every reasonably transfer their license to anyone else. If the book
publishers did that, they'd be.. uh... out of the mass market.
(How many publishers engrave their work into house walls rather than
print onto paper? And how many engravings of novels have you bought
>from them lately?) Thank God the market rejected it!
My point it, software *could* be licensed the way the contents of
books are; it need not imply any ill-conceived notions that hinder
transferrability, such as binding to a CPU. The holder of the original
media could be the legal holder of the license, just as with books.
The book analogy could work just fine, and the market has *not*
rejected it.
Bill.
ON Thu, 22 Jun 2000, Chuck McManis <cmcmanis(a)mcmanis.com> wrote:
]
] At 06:59 PM 6/22/00 -0400, Allison wrote:
] >Consider this you buy a book, you own it to dispose of how you wish
] >(sell, give or burn). You don't buy a license to read it or X many friends
] >to read it. It is property.
]
] Sigh. Allison has this part of it wrong, and it is a common problem.
]
] The book *is* the license. The contents (words etc) are licensed to the
] particular bits of paper and cover that you are holding in your hand. When
] you transfer the paper, the words go with it. You are forbidden from
] copying the words off the paper and putting them on to some other piece of
] paper. What you *own* in the book case is some newsprint, some wax, and
] some binder thread *and that is all*.
]
] If you *MUST* use the book analogy, (and it has already appeared twice
] now), understand how it would be implemented in computers:
]
] You license the software and it is licensed (bound) to your CPU.
] You own the CPU and may dispose of it how you wish, however if you
] give it away or burn it or throw it away, the software goes with it!
] Intel tried to make this model possible with their serial number
] scheme but the market rejected it.
]
] So software, unlike books, is licensed to _people_. (or corporations)
] because people and corporations like to be able to change their CPU and not
] bother with relicensing their software. If you throw away the corporation
] then the license gets thrown away too, just like if you had thrown away the
] book.
]
... and much more, deleted...
> >GENIUS GENIUS GENIUS GENIUS GENIUS
Ok, true story.
Ten plus years ago, in what so far was my last position as
a full-time programmer, we had a customer who required that
we be able to update their system remotely. The vendor who
had failed to deliver their materials handling software on
time was using Carbon Copy to handle that update & support
function.
So, suddenly, we needed to get a copy of Carbon Copy. I
wasn't in the loop on that, all I knew was that the boss
said I'd be getting this package in the mail, and to install
it on the PS/2 Model ?? (one of the desktop MCA machines)
that had the modem in it.
A few days later, the package arrived. As you might expect,
they did not go out and buy a new copy. Upon opening the
package, I stared for some time at the first page, trying
to imagine how it had come to pass that I was seeing what
I was seeing.
Apparantly, whoever (at the customer cite) had possesion of
the Carbon Copy package, delegated the task to someone who
was not quite up to it, but who did their best. I tried to
imagine the conversation that accompanied the assignment;
without a doubt, the manager handed the manual and diskette
to the delegate, and said "and be sure to copy the disk."
Because I was staring at a photocopy of a floppy disk. Oh,
and page two was a photocopy of the backside of the disk,
so at least the delegate in question was complete.
TRUE STORY!
regards,
doug quebbeman
Well, I corresponded with some folks at AMD, and didn't quite get
everything I wanted, but this might help somebody.
They have approved me making up to 10 copies of the Am2900 databook. My
plan is to scan it in and turn it into a PDF file. Therefore, I can only
make copies available to 10 people.
If you are seriously interested in a copy of this, let me know (John Keys - I
assume you'd like a copy, and already have you down for one). If you get
a copy of this from me, you may not redistribute it to anyone. You'll
also need to be patient, as it may take a week or two for me to get around
to doing this.
If substantially more than 10 people are interested, I'll go back to them
and request further permission, but this was all they felt they could let
me do without running my request through legal review.
--Pat.
> >When I die, my collection is up for grabs...
>
> That's an idea but I'm afraid that between you and Mike "DogAss" I
> wouldn't live very long. :-/
>
> Joe
I'm pretty sure your wife would help us load up all that "Junk"... You start
feeling sick, just let me know :-)
Steve Robertson
> -----Original Message-----
> From: FBA [mailto:fauradon@mn.mediaone.net]
> Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2000 6:04 PM
> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
> Subject: Re: Yo
>
> Even though the reply had a funny touch to it how else do you
> expect to have
> your collection survive you?
When I die, my collection is up for grabs... First one here can have it all.
Steve Robertson <steverob(a)hotoffice.com>
I just came across a cardboard paper box that had 11 Corvus concept memory
boards in it. Each is about 6" by 6" square. That's all there was. Anyone
have an idea what they are?
Mike
mmcfadden(a)cmh.edu
box diver = computer scrounger = ancient programmer
>Wouldn't it make more sense to have the software contents legally
>bound to the original media on which it was delivered? This is how
>books work, and (I think) how most people expect software licensing
>to work.
Except that you can't use the software until you *copy* it into
your computer. The courts have ruled that it's copying whether you read
it into RAM or write it to a hard drive.
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927
>> If it's at all windy, or even a little breezy, be careful with those
>> rack side panels, as they can go flying into something rather easily.
>Would it be feasible to remove the skins and set it on its side (on
>a quilt)?
Yes, that's my preferred way for transporting H9642's when they can't
be moved standing up. The quilt is there to protect your truck bed,
not the rack :-). Again, make sure the side panels don't blow away,
there's a pair of VAX 11/750 top panels *somewhere* along the side of the Santa
Monica freeway that disappeared once during a haul of mine...
>I'll at least be transferring the plexiglass tape drive window
>to the Cipher I have for the Prime. BTW, I asked the seller to
>check the rear plate of the TS05, thinking it *is* a Cipher F880
>and he came back and said it has only a TS05 ID plate.
>
>The front bezel is *identical* to the F880 streamer. Do you know
>yea/nay on this?
Mechanically, they're identical except for the nameplates. There may
be slightly different firmware/electronics, but these vary depending on the
F880 rev level anyway.
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927
Count me in, please... -doug quebbeman
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Pat Barron [mailto:pat@transarc.ibm.com]
> Sent: Friday, June 23, 2000 3:19 PM
> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
> Subject: Am2900 Bipolar Microprocessor Databook
>
>
> Well, I corresponded with some folks at AMD, and didn't quite get
> everything I wanted, but this might help somebody.
>
> They have approved me making up to 10 copies of the Am2900
> databook. My
> plan is to scan it in and turn it into a PDF file.
> Therefore, I can only
> make copies available to 10 people.
>
> If you are seriously interested in a copy of this, let me
> know (John Keys - I
> assume you'd like a copy, and already have you down for one).
> If you get
> a copy of this from me, you may not redistribute it to anyone. You'll
> also need to be patient, as it may take a week or two for me
> to get around
> to doing this.
>
> If substantially more than 10 people are interested, I'll go
> back to them
> and request further permission, but this was all they felt
> they could let
> me do without running my request through legal review.
>
> --Pat.
>
>
>Speaking of PDP-11 emulators and licenses ...
>Is there anywhere I can get an RSX-11M distribution for use with Supnik's
>emulator? The current Mentec license appears to permit this (at least,
>for RSX-11M V4.3 and previous, or RSX-11M PLUS V3.0 or previous), but the
>software isn't on the DEC FTP site.
Back when the Mentec license became available, I took a copy of my
V5.3 kit and packaged it up for Bob Supnik so that he could get it
up on the DEC ftp site. Unfortunately, by that time there was simply
no-one from the RSX or RSTS groups left to do the same for those
systems. And now, Bob Supnik is no longer around, so I don't know
who to contact about putting stuff up on the site. Hopefully
Mentec could be persuaded to have an archive of distributions
available (once they actually allow the hobbyist use)...
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry!zk3.dec.com |
| Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg!world.std.com |
| Compaq Computer Corporation | addresses need '@' in place of '!' |
| 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ |
| Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler |
| (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg KB1FCA |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+