An interesting conversation arose the other week, I was talking to a Rockwell rep about software ownership.
Some time ago i bought at auction the laptop + all software from the company I used to work for (company whent into liquidation).
Rockwell say the software is registered to an individual within the company, now I am that individual but no longer with the company.
so I am not registered & it would be against the law to use it.
I have contacted a number of other companies regarding the software ownership & they all say yes if i bought it, have the licence files then there is no problem (is this possesion is nine tenths of the law).
If i buy a second hand tv,lawn mower etc. then i own it & can use them, is software different? or should it be.
all are genuine with licences & this is not a criminal offence but may be a civil one?, however would any court prosecute if I bought the software in what was a legal transaction at the auction or is the auction house selling it illegally.
What do you think?.
To end this, the software versions are now quite old & in some cases not much use anymore so I will never use them anyway as my original thought at the time was to go contracting, but a steady income & secure job got the better of me.
Some time ago i bought at auction the laptop + all software from the company I used to work for (company whent into liquidation).
Rockwell say the software is registered to an individual within the company, now I am that individual but no longer with the company.
so I am not registered & it would be against the law to use it.
I have contacted a number of other companies regarding the software ownership & they all say yes if i bought it, have the licence files then there is no problem (is this possesion is nine tenths of the law).
If i buy a second hand tv,lawn mower etc. then i own it & can use them, is software different? or should it be.
all are genuine with licences & this is not a criminal offence but may be a civil one?, however would any court prosecute if I bought the software in what was a legal transaction at the auction or is the auction house selling it illegally.
What do you think?.
To end this, the software versions are now quite old & in some cases not much use anymore so I will never use them anyway as my original thought at the time was to go contracting, but a steady income & secure job got the better of me.