Question of copyright

Ok, got a question for you guys.

Hopefully, it is on-topic...

If you had a BASIC compiler for a long-dead computer, that you bought 20
years ago, and have no way of reaching the author or company (I have tried
for about the last 10 years)...

This is a company on U.S. Soil - would you release the software to your
fellow community?

It is the ONLY full compiler for BASIC on the target machine.

I know what the community thinks now - or at least the half that doesn't
care about copyrights... I've actually been accused of doing the community a
"disservice" by not releasing the software much earlier... Gee, I paid for
it - they didn't...

I also know there has been a push to release such "dead" software from
copyright, but the progress has been slow and apparently, from what I've
heard, has been weakened and may not even cover such gems...

"winston19842005" <bjjlyates@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:C360194E.69A1%bjjlyates@bellsouth.net...
> Ok, got a question for you guys.
>
> Hopefully, it is on-topic...
>
> If you had a BASIC compiler for a long-dead computer, that you bought 20
> years ago, and have no way of reaching the author or company (I have tried
> for about the last 10 years)...

I'd release it and still sleep well at night. If a company does hold the
copyright,
the usual procedure is to contact the offender and request the software be
withdrawn. Only if the initial request is ignored do companies sometimes
(rarely) actually look to the courts for a cash settlement. I used to work
for a
company with a legal team of hundreds of people. One day one of their
lawyers
asked me to make copies of a piece of commercial software for the entire
staff.
When I asked if that was legal, he said, "Don't worry, <name of company> is
a lot smaller than us. If they try to bring us to court, we can stall so
long they'll
be bankrupt before we'd ever have to pay them a dime." It would be a
Pyrrhic
victory for the smaller firm. Their concern wasn't whether or not it was
legal,
only whether or not they'd be caught and punished.

I guess might makes right.

Tom Lake

On Wed, 14 Nov 2007 08:17:34 GMT, winston19842005 wrote:

> Ok, got a question for you guys.
>
> Hopefully, it is on-topic...
>
> If you had a BASIC compiler for a long-dead computer, that you
> bought 20 years ago, and have no way of reaching the author or
> company (I have tried for about the last 10 years)...
>
> This is a company on U.S. Soil - would you release the software to
> your fellow community?
>
> It is the ONLY full compiler for BASIC on the target machine.
>
> I know what the community thinks now - or at least the half that
> doesn't care about copyrights... I've actually been accused of
> doing the community a "disservice" by not releasing the software
> much earlier... Gee, I paid for it - they didn't...
>
> I also know there has been a push to release such "dead" software
> from copyright, but the progress has been slow and apparently, from
> what I've heard, has been weakened and may not even cover such
> gems...

This is really a legal question.

From a legal viewpoint (IANAL) I would say no, because the instant you
post it, the company will magically appear out of nowhere with a
lawsuit or some other fun stuff.

From a community viewpoint (which I support, usually) I'd say post it.
I'm a member of a "group" (of sorts -- not a warez group or even
really a "group" at all, just a smallish gathering of like-minded
folks) where that's all we do -- keep older software alive. (*Really*
old -- no newer than 1994, usually.)

In the end, the decision whether to release it or not falls squarely
on your shoulders. If you aren't comfortable with posting it, then
don't, and tell the people that you're doing the community a
disservice what you said here: I paid for it, you didn't, go to hell.

Just out of curiosity, what system and what BASIC?

--
auric dot auric at gmail dot com
email sent to the above address is not treated as private
*****
You are who you are, and frankly, you don't owe anyone anything.

On Nov 14, 11:10 am, "Tom Lake" <tl...@twcny.rr.com> wrote:
> When I asked if that was legal, he said, "Don't worry, <name of company> is
> a lot smaller than us. If they try to bring us to court, we can stall so
> long they'll be bankrupt before we'd ever have to pay them a dime."

Apart from being morally reprehensible, I'm somewhat surprised they
weren't worried about the adverse publicity if it ever became public
knowledge. In my limited experience, it's the negative impact on a
company's reputation, and thus potential loss of business, rather than
the illegality that stops them short of this kind of behavior. I
don't know about the States, but in the UK employees are actively
encouraged to be 'whistleblowers' if they become aware of their
company acting unlawfully.

For what it's worth, my recommendation would be not to publish the
compiler.

Richard.
http://www.rtrussell.co.uk/
To reply by email change 'news' to my forename.

"winston19842005" <bjjlyates@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:C360194E.69A1%bjjlyates@bellsouth.net...
> Ok, got a question for you guys.
>
> Hopefully, it is on-topic...
>
> If you had a BASIC compiler for a long-dead computer, that you bought 20
> years ago, and have no way of reaching the author or company (I have tried
> for about the last 10 years)...
>
> This is a company on U.S. Soil - would you release the software to your
> fellow community?
>
> It is the ONLY full compiler for BASIC on the target machine.
>
> I know what the community thinks now - or at least the half that doesn't
> care about copyrights... I've actually been accused of doing the community
> a
> "disservice" by not releasing the software much earlier... Gee, I paid for
> it - they didn't...
>
> I also know there has been a push to release such "dead" software from
> copyright, but the progress has been slow and apparently, from what I've
> heard, has been weakened and may not even cover such gems...
>
There have been major problems with GFA BASIC.
The authors of the new package have had a difficult job getting the owner
to cooperate. I see it is for sale, although I have no idea if there are any
lawsuits
against products created with it.

jj