Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #37707

Re: Abandonware should fall back into the public domain

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Subject	Re: Abandonware should fall back into the public domain
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From	Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org>
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On 11/30/17 9:27 AM, Rick C. Hodgin wrote:
> As the years go by and more and more previously commercial (and even
> open source) software makes the move into abandonware, where the original
> copyright and/or patent holder is no longer maintaining or developing the
> software ... my view is it should move into the area of the public domain,
> legally protected for any use at that point, with all restrictions on use
> rights completely removed, allowing binary deconstruction, reverse
> engineering, machine code extraction, essentially use for any purpose.
> 
> It makes no sense that abandonware should not receive a legal standing,
> such that any person or company who approaches it for use is actually
> protected under the law.  They should have that protection.  The use of
> that pre-existing tool should be at their disposal when the entity who
> originally held rights to it walks away.
> 

One problem is that the author of the program may not have the right to 
give you those abilities. Say for instance you buy program X from 
company Y, under licensing rules Z (including perhaps an exchange of 
money). What you might not know is that company Y in producing program 
X, included software package A from company B, under rules C, which are 
reflected in some of the rules Z.

The fact that company Y has abandoned X, in no way relieves them from 
rules C, which they passed on to you.

Thread

Abandonware should fall back into the public domain "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2017-11-30 06:27 -0800
  Re: Abandonware should fall back into the public domain Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2017-11-30 22:18 -0500
    Re: Abandonware should fall back into the public domain Rick C Hodgin <rickchodginjesus@gmail.com> - 2017-12-03 09:36 -0800
    Re: Abandonware should fall back into the public domain Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2017-12-03 19:48 -0500

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