Date   : Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:58:52 +0100
From   : "David Hunt" <dm.hunt@...>
Subject: Re: Distribution of old software

As far as I am aware the 80186 co-processor was only sold as a package
including the DOS-Plus discs and applications. Since the license to use the
software was included in the price of the co-pro I would imagine that anyone
owning an 80186 co-processor would have a right to the software.

As I recall, Novell bought Digital Research in the early 90s to get their
hands on DR-DOS. When they found they'd gotten in too late, aka MS-DOS et
al. they sold it to Caldera Systems. Caldera is now SCO Group, the very same
people who are suing almost the entire planet over breach of patent and
copyright regarding Linux. Anyhow, they're losing the case. Yipppeeee!

If you're worried, try and e-mail SCO and ask them;
<http://www.sco.com/worldwide/us.html> apparently they're getting thousands
of spams per day from irate Linux developers and users, so you might not get
through...

Considering the purely historical interest of the software and the rareness
of the platform, I would be surprised if an author [Essential/SCO] would
want to be paid. But there was all the fuss over Superior Software titles a
while back...

Dave ;)

-----Original Message-----
From: Majordomo List Manager [mailto:majordomo@...] On Behalf Of
David Harper
Sent: 17 October 2005 09:50
To: BBC Micro List
Subject: [BBC-Micro] Distribution of old software

What are the opinions of the people on this list about the sharing of old 
software? I am thinking of software for the Beeb which, presumably, is still

within copyright, but which is otherwise unobtainable, which will never be 
sold again commercially, and from which no-one would ever expect to make any

further profit.

In particular, there have been a few people on the list who have acquired a 
Master 512 / 80186 co-pro, but do not have the DOS-Plus disks to go with it.

The co-pro is (practically) useless without the disks, but there is nowhere 
you can buy them. I still have a working 512 (actually a 1Mb version), and I

have the original disks which are still perfectly good. I could very easily 
make copies of the disks for others.

Is this acceptable practice? The software was originally produced by Acorn 
and Digital Research, but who now owns the copyright since Acorn was split 
up / sold off / renamed, and DRI folded, is anybody's guess (or does someone

know?)

In a similar vein, I have quite a lot of the programs produced for the 512 
by Essential Software. (I wrote a few of them.) Essential Software closed 
down in 1994, and I have not been in touch with Robin Burton since then. I 
doubt that he would want payment for any of these items now, but is it 
acceptable to share them?

Sorry if this issue has been done to death on this list in the past. I have 
only recently discovered the list after being away from the Beeb for many 
years.

David Harper