OT..un supported software..

darrenj

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Feb 2005
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Was reading some post tonight here and and at MRplc..what is the opinion on unsupported softawre or obsolete software..

Example...

Modicon dosnt support or produce MODSOFT Is it now illegal to copy it?

are you hurting anyones bottom line by doing that?

I guess it is the same as AB's slc 100 150 software..(cant remember the name for it)..I have seen it posted here a number of times and noone has said Boo..Just wondering what the thoughts are...

I would post a poll but that is casey's job and i would hate to have a grievence filed against me.. ! :)
 
There is a limitation on copyright for printed material but I'm not sure what the situation is on software. If we were to apply the same rules then no software would be old enough to have passed automatically in to the public domain.

The fact that a manufacturer no longer sells or supports certain software does not mean they have relinquished copyright on it. (A book may be out of print but that's not to say the author doesn't still have the rights to it.) So I would say that strictly speaking, copying of any licensed copyrighted software at any stage is illegal.

Then comes the next thing: who's going to enforce that copyright? Will Modicon, AB or anybody else hunt down all the individuals who copy and distribute that software? Well probably not. For another analogy, I doubt if the big record companies will come knocking on your door in the wee small hours because you copied a CD for a friend, but they'll surely pursue some pirate copying organisation attempting to displace the genuine thing in the market.

Ultimately it's someone's conscience that decides if or when to copy software without permission whether it's the latest release or twenty years old.

Regards

Ken.
 
Yup, search around for all the SLC150 related post. Now AB has wised up and post the software for download off their website.
 
jstolaruk said:
Now if they would only do it for their PLC-2 programming software.

I have a feeling that they are still making money off upgrades on that one.

Which also touches on why a company may still enforce a copyright on unsupported software. To make upgrading the less expensive option. (Those familiar with Indramat-Bosch-Rexroth know what I am talking about).
 
Copyright is something I had a look into a while ago.
Copyright laws are like any other, they are different for each country, however there are international treaties which are conformed to in most countries.
Generally, copyright for property or a company lasts for 70 years from the date it was drafted. In the US this was changed to 90 years due to pressure from some industry groups. This means that in 10 years the British WW2 code breaking software will become public domain.
Companies can release code into the public domain. Companies can also give it away for free. If the companies want to hide it away in a vault and not sell it to anyone, that is their right. If they want to destroy every copy in their own control and forbid anyone from copying it then they are within their rights.
Most areas in the world will allow you to privately buy or sell legitemately obtained copies. It is also generally permitted to make backup copies of your ligitimately obtained software for your own protection.

So, to answer your question, if the company doesn't want you to have the software, and you can't get a legitimate copy from another ligitimate owner, then you can't have it.

You may be able to get away with copying the software and posting the company a royalty cheque, but this method has yet to be tested in court.

Remember, I am not a lawyer, I only play one on this forum.

Doug
 
Doug_Adam said:
Copyright is something I had a look into a while ago.
Copyright laws are like any other, they are different for each country, however there are international treaties which are conformed to in most countries.
Generally, copyright for property or a company lasts for 70 years from the date it was drafted. In the US this was changed to 90 years due to pressure from some industry groups. This means that in 10 years the British WW2 code breaking software will become public domain.
Companies can release code into the public domain. Companies can also give it away for free. If the companies want to hide it away in a vault and not sell it to anyone, that is their right. If they want to destroy every copy in their own control and forbid anyone from copying it then they are within their rights.
Most areas in the world will allow you to privately buy or sell legitemately obtained copies. It is also generally permitted to make backup copies of your ligitimately obtained software for your own protection.

So, to answer your question, if the company doesn't want you to have the software, and you can't get a legitimate copy from another ligitimate owner, then you can't have it.

You may be able to get away with copying the software and posting the company a royalty cheque, but this method has yet to be tested in court.

Remember, I am not a lawyer, I only play one on this forum.

Doug

LOL That was disney who "extended" the copyright laws..if they didnt Micky mouse was up for grabs soon..Can you imagine!!

This was just a general question..I was curious what other people thought..Now i know there are some who would disagree with most who say if its un supported and not sold then its fair game..but i do wonder what the argument would be..who is hurting by someone giving the software away..

again just an intersting debate..
 
Darren

I don't think the issue of 'who is hurting' can really be held as a valid part of the argument. If the extent of financial injury is to determine whether software can be copied or not then you could have two contrasting situations -

A) Rockicon(or any other large imaginary corp. like Modwell) stops providing a old s/w package, so some people decide to copy and distribute it themselves; or,
B) a small two-man outfit creates and sells some niche market software, and some people decide to copy and distribute it themselves.

I would suspect the total market for A) is larger and more valuable than B). So in B) the extent of 'who is hurting' is limited financially and individually. Does that mean that current product should have less protection than the older big company software? Or vice versa?

As far as I'm aware copyright laws make no mention of extent, value, market etc. All that would happen is that if a corporation considers trying to enforce copyright by bringing a court case they should first assess whether any benefit from winning the case (assuming they do win) is worth the cost of pursuing it. But that's their decision to make, not yours. And the benefit may not always be financial. By taking you to court, Rockicon may not win many dollars, but they send out a pretty strong message to the market - "don't f**k with our software!"

Regards

Ken
 
Ken M said:
A) Rockicon(or any other large imaginary corp. like Modwell) stops providing a old s/w package, so some people decide to copy and distribute it themselves; or...

Ken,
Am I missing something? Never heard of Rockicon or Modwell - how well does their kit stack up? :ROFLMAO:
 
darrenj said:
LOL That was disney who "extended" the copyright laws..if they didnt Micky mouse was up for grabs soon..Can you imagine!!

This was just a general question..I was curious what other people thought..Now i know there are some who would disagree with most who say if its un supported and not sold then its fair game..but i do wonder what the argument would be..who is hurting by someone giving the software away..

again just an intersting debate..

Maybe this is not a problem.
Sometimes if you ask the company nicely, they will give you the old software (or sell it for a reasonable price).
Although, sometimes they won't.
 
Part of why a software is not supported is the hardware is usually outdated, too. Not to say the equipment actually failed, just someone wants to make it do a few more things.

IMO, companies do not support the OLD stuff as a means of getting you to buy the NEW stuff.
 

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