26 Mar
2006
26 Mar
'06
3:41 p.m.
On 3/26/2006 at 4:28 PM Scott Quinn wrote:
it.
And I'm
curious - how are these issues handled today? I ask remembering
that I once node-locked the software I sold on the SGI. What are the
repercussions for legacy hobbyists, when companies like SGI take a dive?
In that case, you either crack the license system or binary-patch around If you still have the keys you used to create
nodelocked licenses, you can
make a "any" license.
By "reprecussions" do you mean legal or practical?
While it happens, it's not uncommon for copyright and patents to be sold as
part of the bankruptcy proceedings. A good bankruptcy court will find a
buyer for everything, (e.g. payables, receivables, patents, copyrights,
trademarks, etc.). While a lot of this stuff may find its way into a dusty
box in the corner of a warehouse, protections under the law are still
preserved for whomever the owner is. (Hence the wording in the software
license of the term "assigns and successors").
The bad part is that a bankruptcy liquidation can take years to complete,
leaving old customers to swing in the breeze with no support.
Cheers,
Chuck