Thanks for your response. It seems that it comes down to whether or not the wolves and foxes think it worth while to 'bite' some scrawny chicken who might be misusing their obsolete software (E.G. selling or using WORD v 2 or 3 or 4 or 5; selling or using EXCEL v 2.2, 3. 4. etc). Sometimes the foxes and wolves try to take a bite out of a wolverine and find excessive reciprocation.
--- "Byron Q. Desnoyers Winmill" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Sun, Sep 04, 2005 at 05:46:11AM -0700, Mel wrote: > > I was under an impression that in the case of > > Microsoft WORD that Microsoft has abandoned all > prior > > releases starting with the third most current and > that > > anyone could alter, modify and retail changed > older > > software and do so with impunity. > > If only that were true! As a minimum, software is > protected by > copyright law. This means that you cannot duplicate > and retail a > piece of software until the copyright has expired. > Copyrights > typically last for a century, but the actual > duration varies from > country to country. > > Copyright law does not have any clause for > abandonment, A.F.A.I.K.. > > The modification of software is another issue and it > isn't covered > by copyright laws uniformly. For example: it is > legal to reverse > engineer and modify programs in Canada (I forget if > it is legal to > distribute information garnered from reverse > engineering, or the > results of those modifications). In the U.S., the > D.M.C.A. makes > that process illegal if it involves circumventing > copy protection. > What counts as copy protection? This case: > > http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050902-5270.html > > Makes it sound like a serial number is one form of > copy protection. > In other words, anything counts as copy protection. > It is also > important to note that the ruling discusses the > E.U.L.A. as though > it is a legally binding contract. > > An E.U.L.A. is a contract which you "sign" by simply > using a piece > of software. It does not (apparently) matter > whether they have > any indication that *you* saw or agreed to that > contract because > the forementioned case implied that the defendants > agreed to it, > even though there is no way to prove that they were > the ones who > clicked on the "i agree" button. It is worth noting > that that > E.U.L.A., as well as virtually every other E.U.L.A. > forbids reverse > engineering (the only notable exception is with open > source software). > It is also worth noting that E.U.L.A.s may impinge > on your rights > in other ways, such as I've seen E.U.L.A.s which > claim that the > company has the right to confiscate your computer > equipment. Though > I seriously doubt that that E.U.L.A. would ever hold > up in a court > of law, because of the extremity of the claim and > the fact that > you "agreed" to it by breaking open the shrink-wrap > on the package > which contained it. Then again, it is also > important to note that > the U.S. courts have been biased towards > "intellectual property" > owners over the past decade (perhaps longer), so > anything goes. > Thankfully this isn't the case in my country, but > there is a lot > of pressure for copyright laws be re-written to suit > the draconian > needs of software publishers in my country too (that > is Canada). > > Byron. > > -- > System6 is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> > and... > > 123Inkjets.com > <http://lowendmac.com/ad/123inkjets.html> > > Support Low End Mac > <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> > > System 6 Heaven > <http://www.euronet.nl/users/mvdk/system_6_heaven.html> > > System6 info: > <http://lowendmac.com/lists/system6.html> > --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; > Send list messages to: > <mailto:system6@mail.maclaunch.com> > To unsubscribe, email: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > For digest mode, email: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subscription questions: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Archive: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/system6%40mail.maclaunch.com/> > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > iPod Accessories for Less > at 1-800-iPOD.COM > Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deals > www.1800ipod.com > --------------------------------------------------------------- > -- System6 is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... 123Inkjets.com <http://lowendmac.com/ad/123inkjets.html> Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> System 6 Heaven <http://www.euronet.nl/users/mvdk/system_6_heaven.html> System6 info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/system6.html> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:system6@mail.maclaunch.com> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/system6%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deals www.1800ipod.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
