Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!mcnc!ecsvax.uncecs.edu!mvolo
From: mvolo@uncecs.edu (Michael R. Volow)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Legality of "old" software disposition
Summary: What about old out of "print" software?
Keywords: Old versions, sharing software
Message-ID: <1989Sep26.015940.845@uncecs.edu>
Date: 26 Sep 89 01:59:40 GMT
References: <3772@blake.acs.washington.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Lines: 24

In article <3772@blake.acs.washington.edu>, djo7613@blake.acs.washington.edu (Dick O'Connor) writes:
> She purchased a copy of First Publisher, Version 2 I guess, some time back.
> Then she upgraded to the next number (2.1?), and was sent a new manual and
> an entire new disk set...in other words, "the works."  The upgrade price was not
> equivalent to the purchase price, but was more like $30 as I recall.
> 
> Her question was, "Can I give my copy of 2.0 to my folks, for playing
> around on their home PC?"  This stumped me a bit from the purely legal
> standpoint (I *know* it happens a lot in "reality").  If you actually
> "owned" the software, the answer would be YES, but since you only license it,
> probably the answer is NO.  But does that restriction bar you from RESALE
> only, or from all possible "redistribution," including charitable donations?

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.

M Volow, VA Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705
mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP           919 286 0411