[comp.sys.mac] Appleshare: Tsk, Tsk Tsk

david_islander_hughes@cup.portal.com (02/02/90)

r
You don"t MEAN you put COPIES of software that
DIFFERENT computers can ACCESS ....

Tsk Tsk Tsk..... what would the copyright
gods say?

See infintesimal print at bottom of copyright
notices about being used on ONE computer, etc. etc.

BTW we use Appleshare here on a Plus with very
few problems , it's fairly speedy (mostly text
Ms 4.x stuff.

PM 3.x files are sloooow, but that's to be expectd.

Hafa Adai from Guam
Where America's Day begins

denbeste@bgsuvax.UUCP (William C. DenBesten) (02/03/90)

From article <26499@cup.portal.com>, by david_islander_hughes@cup.portal.com:
> r
> You don"t MEAN you put COPIES of software that
> DIFFERENT computers can ACCESS ....
> 
> Tsk Tsk Tsk..... what would the copyright
> gods say?
> 
> See infintesimal print at bottom of copyright
> notices about being used on ONE computer, etc. etc.

Yes, that is exactly what I mean.  Note, however that only one
computer can use any given program AT A TIME.  That is, two people can
not be simultaneously using Ready Set Go (for example), since I
only have one copy on the server.

As far as copyright goes, this is not a problem.  I have only one copy
executing for each copy of the software that I have purchased.  Copies
are being made only from disk to memory in the normal course of
execution of the application.  This is all that the copyright law is
concerned with (in this respect).

If you really worry about this sort of thing (which I have to), read
your license agreements.

Both Claris's and Microsoft's license specifically permit this sort
of activity.

Borland and Symantec both state that it can be used on only one CPU at
a time, but don't mention networks.  I am following this license, since all
others are locked out when someone is using any given copy.

In the old days, Microsoft's license said that their applications
could not be "transfered over networks".  I called them and
specifically asked them if it was ok to use it from a file server that
guarantees single use.  They told me that this was ok.  Evidently,
their concern was with people using things like FTP and public folder.
I recommended that they change their license so to say that this was
ok.  I can not say that I caused the change, but they now permit it.

I have called many vendors and asked this specific question and
recommended that they specifically include language to this effect in
their license agreement.

I returned one package when I felt that I could not live with the
license agreement. (They were concerned with who else I did business, 
but this is not relevant).

Have YOU called any vendors and questioned the language on any of your
software packages' agreements?

BTW, I have not yet tackled use on hard drives.  Most licenses state
that you may make one copy, for backup purposes only.  I (and everyone
else) make a copy, use the copy, and store the original for the
backup.  While this obeys the spirit of the license, it doesn't obey
the letter.

-- 
William C. DenBesten   is   denbeste@bgsu.edu  or   denbesten@bgsuopie.bitnet