[NTLK] Re: No longer supported software...

From: Eric L. Strobel (fyzycyst_at_home.com)
Date: Fri Jun 15 2001 - 07:47:24 PDT


on 6/15/01 8:51 AM, countless monkeys randomly typing on behalf of John M.
Powell at quixjuan_at_QuixNet.net miraculously produced:

> 1) I've been trying to track down Harry Kardash of HexDump software - they
> seem to have dropped
> off the planet.
> .
> .
> .
> But in cases like that, where the company simply does not exist anymore...
> what do we do? Legally,
> at what point do we say, "I've tried as hard as I can to contact the
> crreators, I've passed some statute
> of limitations, we're free to make it available to the community". Or can we
> EVER reach that point legally?

I'd guess that, when you can contact the company, an effort has to be made
to contact someone high enough to make commitments for the company. Then
just see if they're willing to talk through to a solution. I think that, as
long as the company exists (or even if they've been bought out by someone),
they still hold full rights regardless of whether they have abandoned the
software or not.

>
> 2) Software that required reg codes. What do we do here with software that
> isn't supported anymore
> but requires codes? There are cases where again, the company does not exist
> anymore, and codes
> were required...
> .
> .
> .
> What do I do now if I can't reach them?
>

I've never heard a good answer on this. If the company wasn't sold, but was
disposed of (i.e., assets sold), then either someone bought rights to the
software, or the company's owner still holds those rights. Or not... :-)

Geez! With 1200+ people on this list, you'd think that ONE of us would know
a software copyright attorney...

- Eric.

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