Re: [NTLK] Well... you know what...

From: DON (don_at_dcphotos.com)
Date: Mon Sep 10 2001 - 09:37:07 EDT


>
> <snip>
>> store the
>> lost property for a fixed amount of time (which I
>> think is 2 years or so) to
>>
>> give the owner a chance to claim his property. After
>> that time it's yours.
>> This is how I once came into possesion of a bicycle
>> that some thief
>> obviously had abandoned in a forest. Two years later
>> it was mine. Legally.
>
> sounds like a national Lost-and-found department! But
> 2 years?!? sheesh! Here in the states, I found an
> abandoned car in a parking lot that had good parts for
> my classic that I was restoring. I contacted the
> parking lot's owner, asked him if I could "tow" the
> car away. He agreed. I towed it to my house, contacted
> the DMV. Got the car's owner's address and sent 3
> registered letters every 30 days for 90 days. Waited
> an additional 30 days then took my documents to the
> DMV and registered it in my name. All said and done,
> the car was mine within 5 months!
> Ed
> web/gadget guru

Good for you, what's your point? The car NEVER fell into the PUBLIC domain.
In other words, at no time during the abandonment could anyone who chose to
just start driving or otherwise use the car. IMHO, the same holds true for
this DragonWare, I would think if someone exhausted all means to contact the
rightful owner(s) and could not then that individual MAY have a case for
using the "abandonware", but from that individual's efforts we all may not
use it. I don't think a judge would buy it if I told him some guy a thousand
miles away claims to contact the owner and could not so that guy gave the
rest of the world the green light to use the software.
It's the same as the car, you did the leg work, YOU have a case. I can't
come forward and claim parts off your car because it was abandoned and YOU
proved it. Although, I am restoring my '79 Triumph Spitfire and was
wondering if you had a spare...
Don

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