> The worst problem with expiring software is that a
> company, operating in good faith, can be forced out
> of business because if it.
You shouldn't buy software from crappy "on_last_legs"
companies.
> Lets say that I have a company called BestInTheWorld.
> Because I make the best data-base software in the world,
> a lot of companies purchase a license to use this
> software. The software expires in a year. This is no
> problem because The software renewal is cheap. Soon
> every company in Silicon Valley uses my software.
> The company is going strong and needs to expand. It
> issues public stock.
>
> Al Qaeda
Lets stop there eh? AL <self snipped>QAEDA ? ANY GOV.T
would let them buy stock? Controlling Stock ???
purchases controlling interest in the company
> and closes it. In one year, everybody in Silicon Valley
> is out of work because all the company's software
> stopped working.
Say M$ bought company that has "we can change this license
at any time
for this version of software" written in its license, M$
changes it and BOOM! Software now costs another $400,000
to use...
My DRM would not allow this... Good Eh?
Also GPL sources wouldn't work in proprietary work(s).
>
> Bad joke? Hell no. Digital thought about short-term
> leasing of their software when they introduced LMF,
> the license management facility. Once Digtal's lawyers
> got involved, a patch was sent to everbody making damn
> sure that the "expiration" capability was removed.
> Nevertheless, FTP Software, that made TCP/IP to DECNET
> sofware, continued to have software that expired.
>
> Basically, in many states in the USA, you can't sell or
> lease something that will become worthless or unusable if
> the seller or leasor no longer exists. If the renter makes
> a good-faith effort to pay the rent, the renter continues
> to enjoy use of the leased property. Creating property that
> doesn't allow this violates common law.
>
> Cheers,
> Dick Johnson
> Penguin : Linux version 2.4.20 on an i686 machine (797.90 BogoMips).
> Why is the government concerned about the lunatic fringe? Think about it.
>
--
______________________________________________
http://www.linuxmail.org/
Now with e-mail forwarding for only US$5.95/yr
Powered by Outblaze
Hi Dean.
>> Lets say that I have a company called BestInTheWorld.
>> Because I make the best data-base software in the world,
>> a lot of companies purchase a license to use this
>> software. The software expires in a year. This is no
>> problem because The software renewal is cheap. Soon
>> every company in Silicon Valley uses my software.
>> The company is going strong and needs to expand. It
>> issues public stock.
>>
>> Al Qaeda
> Lets stop there eh? AL <self snipped>QAEDA ? ANY GOV.T
> would let them buy stock? Controlling Stock ???
How would they stop them?
Think about it. Let's say that Joe Bloggs buys stock in the
company. What can you ask from him to prove he isn't buying
for Al Qaeda (or some other equally fanatical group)? After
all, it's hardly likely he'd admit he was doing so.
Best wishes from Riley.
---
* Nothing as pretty as a smile, nothing as ugly as a frown.
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.481 / Virus Database: 277 - Release Date: 13-May-2003