Eric L. Strobel <fyzycyst_at_home.com> wrote:
-- at the temporal coordinates: 9/7/01 1:18 PM, the entity known as Michael_Guzzo/Harmac_at_harmac.com at Michael_Guzzo/Harmac_at_harmac.com conveyed the following:> > > Eric L. Strobel <fyzycyst_at_home.com> wrote: > -- > Is there any software company that's still profiting from 14 > year old software (it's probably a stretch to find any that still market > s/w > from even 7 years ago)?? > -- > > MacOS - copyright 1983 to present > WinWord - copyright 1983 to present > Lotus Organizer 2.1 (still available for sale if you can find it) - > copyright 1991 to 1996.
But Apple is not still selling System 1.0 (in fact, one can freely download Systems up to 7.something), I don't know what the oldest version of Word is that MS still actually sells, and I know nothing about Lotus. The point is that while many companies are still selling updated versions of software from years past, few, if any, companies are still selling the EXACT software they sold 14 years ago.
-- Apple doesn't have to be still selling System 1.0. And freely downloadable != public domain. They are still using code (expression of ideas) from 1983 in System 7, 8, and 9. (Hmm. Maybe that's a bad example...). I don't have Mac OSX but I'm sure the cpoyright wil date back to at least 1983 since the software incorporates the IP of Apple (and whomever they bought the technology from). Check your "about this computer" dialog. Even Windows 98 is copyright 1981 (!) - 1997.
Now I forgot what this thread was about...oh yeah, orphaned software. I think I'll stop now.
MG
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