I just went through a huge ordeal similiar to this in trying to get Resnova's NovaServer (BBS server) put into the public domain. The following, of course, does not constitute legal advice. ;-) To quote Peter E. Converse: ---Start Quote--- When you say that ResNova "no longer exists in any way shape or form", that may mean several different things. It may mean that ResNova has gone through a Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, that its corporate charter has been allowed to lapse, or merely that its operations have been abandoned. Each of these possibilities leads to several different outcomes. First, if ResNova is bankrupt, any intellectual property (like NovaServer) would pass temporarily through the hands of a bankruptcy trustee, receiver or debtor-in-possession. Then, this person probably would have attempted to sell this intellectual property to satisfy the debts of the company. If ResNova is still going through a bankruptcy, you could contact the trustee or receiver by checking federal Bankruptcy records. Second, if ResNova's corporate charter has been allowed to lapse (which is what I think you mean, if I had to bet), that corporation still owns the intellectual property in question, even though it no longer exists under the laws of the state of incorporation (subject to my comments about abandonment below). You might be able to arrange to purchase or license the IP by contacting the officers of the company. To find out who they are, you could contact the Secretary of State of the state in which Resnova was originally incorporated. This would probably be the State of its primary operations, or, alternatively, Delaware, NY or Calif. Any Secretary of State will tell you, over the phone, the name of the registered agent (prob an attorney or officer of the company) who could help you arrange a purchase or license. Third, if ResNova's shareholders, officers, directors and creditors have all disappeared, you might be able to treat this intellectual property as having been "abandoned." Unfortunately, if you do so, you may be subjecting yourself to legal liability for unlicensed use of the IP in the event that any of these folks turn up later. The burden in court would be placed on you to prove that you made a rigorous effort to find the owners and that they really had abandoned the asset. I would suggest making thorough investigations as described in the above two paragraphs before simply assuming that the asset has been abandoned. Of course, you should understand that this information is merely general and is not legal advice rendered as to specific facts. You should probably consult an attorney before taking any actions in this matter. Let me know if I can be of any further assistance. I represent a number of software developers, consultants, consumer product marketers and IT professionals. Good Luck. Peter E. Converse The Law Offices of Peter E. Converse 8 South Michigan Avenue Suite 2600 Chicago, Illinois 60603 (312) 214-0661 (312) 332-0600 Fax convers(a)interaccess.com ---End Quote--- -- Sysop of Caesarville Online Client software at: <http://home.earthlink.net/~tomowad/>