Re: Abandonware petition

["Brendon Woirhaye" <bytre@nospam.com>]

Although this is an honourable idea, it isn't as simple as it looks.

I did some research a couple months back into Copy ][+, which is owned by
the company that I work for (Symantec Corporation, which acquired Central
Point about 8 or 9 years back).  Although the company has no financial
interest in the old product, and won't prosecute anyone for using an
unlicensed copy or even distributing it, the company cannot afford to
release it as public domain.

You see, it is possible that an old product may have used libraries or other
code licensed from another company or individual.  For a company to release
a product as public domain, it needs to make absolutely sure it owns the
entire rights to do so - and that requires legal research.  Particularly a
company with big assets which may be a legal target.

Thus is the case for Symantec.  We cannot afford to take the legal risk of
releasing the software, and cannot justify the expense of the legal research
(which would probably cost tens of thousands of dollars for Copy ][+).

Some companies may be able to take the risk or in full control of their
assets, but many others are probably in Symantec's situation - we'd like to
do it, but can't take the risk.

Brendon


"Mo" <mygranny@'nospam'swbell.net> wrote in message
news:WQk57.157$Lr2.5721@nnrp1.sbc.net...
> A friend of mine sent this URL to me and it seems like a pretty good idea,
> it's a petition for the release to public domain, software that's over two
> generations old. Some of you might want to check it out. Here's the link-
> Mo.
>
> http://mivox.com/essays/petition.html
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