Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ginosko!uunet!sdrc!scjones From: scjones@sdrc.UUCP (Larry Jones) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Legality of "old" software disposition Keywords: Old versions, sharing software Message-ID: <834@sdrc.UUCP> Date: 26 Sep 89 21:36:04 GMT References: <3772@blake.acs.washington.edu> <1989Sep26.015940.845@uncecs.edu> Distribution: na Organization: Structural Dynamics Research Corp., Cincinnati Lines: 33 In article <1989Sep26.015940.845@uncecs.edu>, mvolo@uncecs.edu (Michael R. Volow) writes: > > A related question is, suppose I have a software package that is no > longer manufactured or available, make it a relatively inexpensive one > at that ($40). I still use it occasionally and don't want to part with > it. But my friend wants one too, can't buy one because it's no longer > produced. I would guess that legally I should not give him a copy of > it. If it were an out of print book, unavailable second-hand, I would > have no qualms about xeroxing it. But I don't know if this applies to > software. You may not have any qualms about it, but it is still quite illegal and is a real good way to get sued. A copyright holder is in no way obligated to make copies available and the mere fact that something is out of print does NOT remove the copyright protection. This is a common problem with sheet music since it is frequently published for relatively short periods of time, relatively few copies are published, and it is almost never available second-hand. Quite a number of schools and churches have been sued for making additional copies of old scores which were no longer available. The same is true of copyrighted software. There may be little chance of your getting caught, but it is still illegal. DISCLAIMER: I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV. ---- Larry Jones UUCP: uunet!sdrc!scjones SDRC scjones@SDRC.UU.NET 2000 Eastman Dr. BIX: ltl Milford, OH 45150-2789 AT&T: (513) 576-2070 "I have plenty of good sense. I just choose to ignore it." -Calvin