At 03:55 PM 8/4/2004 -0500, Matthew Perdue wrote:
>John Lee <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >If you alter the SUSAN number in Jan 1, 2007, have you harmed HP?
> >
> >John Lee
>
>Probably not, other than some small charge that HP may charge for
>changing a SUSAN number. HP doesn't actually own the SUSAN number, just
>the software that can change the SUSAN number.
>
>Now if you have or someone wants to write, independantly, software that
>will change the SUSAN number then you or they will own the copyright to
>that software, not HP - since HP didn't write the new software.
>
>Note: John poses a classic law school question, for anyone that's taken
>courses in technology law. It's a good question. Anyone up for writing
>software that changes the SUSAN number (without causing a BOO DEAD on
>boot up)?

Perhaps true, perhaps not.   But if you've done it to defraud some organization
so as to utilize a licensed software product on a system or by an organization
that it was not originally licensed for you would be subject to litigation
as well
as the company to whom the license was originally granted.  Most times the
terms of a licensing agreement do not stop because support is discontinued
by either party.   These things boil down to intent...   And just because HP
chooses to no longer support a product does not mean that the
product/technology
become public domain.

And one needs to be cautious, as you may 'own' the computing hardware, but
only have a right-to-use license for the technology that uses/drives the
hardware.
And right-to-use licenses sometimes have clauses concerning tampering or
reverse-engineering.  Changing the SUSAN would be tampering...

Indeed a grey area and something that would be interesting to hear well-healed
technology lawyers argue...  Perhaps we can get Eugene to attend and share
his insight... as I find this evolving area of trade law quite
facinating... :-)



>* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
>* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *