[HECnet] TOPS-10/20 copyright status

[Dave McGuire]

On 11/15/2014 05:10 PM, Johnny Billquist wrote:
    It's certainly possible (IMO) that it could be brought into this era
technologically, as it has a good base to build on, but I don't know of
any companies or investors who would support such work.   I think it
should happen, but it likely will not.

    Think of it this way.   Remember "wash boards"?   I don't know if you
have a different term for them in Sweden, but they are how we washed
clothes a century ago, before automated washing machines.   It's a rough
metal plate in a wooden frame that sticks out of a bucket of soapy
water, and you rub the clothes on it to flush out the dirt.   If the wash
board is patented, and someone still owns that patent, it's very
unlikely that anyone in the business world would consider that patent to
be worth anything, for the obvious reason.

Analogies are always problematic.

Consider this - a piece of software used in embedded applications is a
piece of software you will probably never hear of. Might not even be
possible to buy if you tried.

  Well yes, I understand that.   I am an embedded systems developer.   But
see below.

Does that mean it is dead, or have no value?

This is the state of TOPS-20 at the moment. It is being used as embedded
software, that you'll never see, or hear of. But it's still alive.

  I'm aware of the use of the XKL chipset's application in the network
switches, but I was unaware of their use of TOPS-20.   I thought they
were running a bare-metal firmware load written for that purpose.   Is
this not the case, are they actually running TOPS-20, or at least some
part(s) of it, on those embedded processors?

  If so, I need to pull a few strings and get my hands on one.   Or several.

But more broadly speaking, any kind of software have the same issue.
Just because you do not see it used anywhere does not mean this is not
the case. Assuming noone cares anymore just because you cannot find it
used anywhere does not work. And even when noone actually do not care
anymore, it is still sad when it is assumed that you can take liberties
based on that assumption.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not condemning those who want to run cool
software, or play with odd technology, and feel that there is no legal
way of doing that. I just dislike when people try to present it in a way
that make it sound like it was actually legal/ok/right.

  Understood and agreed.

                  -Dave

-- 
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA