Conference 7.286::digital

41.0. "External Proprietary Software" by SIMON::SZETO () Thu Jun 06 1985 13:31

  Recently there was a widely-circulated memo regarding pirated software.
  Personally, I felt that the issue was blown out of proportion, and I was
  skeptical that the company would conduct a "witch-hunt" of pirated 
  software.  On the positive side, it is good that our consciousness has
  been raised in terms of respect for the proprietary rights of software
  producers from whom we purchase some of the software we use.

  The attached note mentions the relevant Personnel Policy (6.26), which
  incidentally does apply on a world-wide basis.  Salient points of this
  policies are:

    -  External proprietary software to be used only when there is an agree-
       ment between the vendor and Digital.

    -  Comply with license agreements.  Don't copy software unless Digital
       has been given a specific license to do so.

    -  Don't give software to people outside the company.

    -  Employees who violate this policy are subject to disciplinary action
       or dismissal.

  [DISCLAIMER:  The above highlights are personal interpretation by this
  writer and in no way supersede or contradict the actual policy.  Read the
  policy itself!]

--Simon
  
================================================================================
 LATOUR::AMARTIN                 Easynet Notes                 5-JUN-1985 23:40 
 Note 134.31             -< Pirated software warning >-                31 of 31 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re .25:

A rebuttal to .0 and .25.  I got it on 3-Jun-85, but I wasn't sure if
I had seen it in this file, so I waited until the network was fast enough
to let me reread this note and make sure I wasn't being redundant.

Of course, maybe the software police decided that they weren't
discovering enough illegal software, and so they are spreading
this counter-rumor to lull people into a false sense of security.

In any case, Dennis Kozak and Luis Vigil deserve our thanks for
investigating this with the right people, and publishing the results.

From:	KOZAK          31-MAY-1985 14:24
To:	@TFS.GRP
Subj:	FALSE ALARM

From:	SNICKR::VIGIL        "DATA SECURITY - 225-6186"   31-MAY-1985 14:06
To:	HERMES::KOZAK
Subj:	Unlicensed Software


In our conversation you brought up several good questions.  Some answers
are:
	-  Corporate security investigated the source of the memo and
	   determined that it is a rumor based on incomplete facts.  The
	   source got the information through a conversation with someone
	   who knew somebody, etc.  The real case was a situation where a
	   manager wanted to nail one of his employees, knew that the
	   person had some illegal software, and used that as an excuse
	   to do him in.

	-  The corporate policy (in the orange book) 6.26 (6 FEB 84) has
	   the guidelines for external software.

	-  The policy places the responsibilty of maintaining a list of
	   software and sites on the cost center manager that buys the
	   software!  (I think it also mentions where you can  get the
	   Brooklyn bridge for next to nothing....)  As we know, reality
	   is there is no way that this is being addressed, handled or
	   even dreamed about.  WE'RE DOOMED!!  In short, there is no
	   way you could get a list, noone I know of is doing it.  I have
	   yet to contact Bel Cross or our legal guys so hope is not lost
	   but I don't believe it is happenning.

	-  My suggestion is that you try to obtain a license for the
	   external software you are using, read the policy, and try to
	   make it workable.  As for the software without a license you
	   might make a determination as to whether it falls into any of
	   these categories:

		o  Public Domain - help yourself nobody cares, games usually
		   fall in this category, unless they are licensed like ZORK,
		   PACMAN, and etc.

		o  Digital unsupported - there are a number of these, special
		   programs written by employees to do specific jobs, such as
		   LASTLOGIN, SPEAR, and etc. keep them and use them.

		o  External Proprietary - If you have these, get a license
		   or get rid of them.  There are a variety of specialized
		   programs that are commonly used such as accounting and
		   editing packages, etc.  If you don't have a license, don't
		   know where you can get one, or don't know if your program is
		   proprietary get a replacement package with a license, who
		   knows, it might even be an improvement.

	-  I would suggest that the same rule applies to software as applies
	   to leftovers in the refrigerator:

		WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!

External software seems pretty obvious to me, but I have often wandered if
anyone cares how many times we copy DEC software products for internal use?

For instance, everyone I know who has a PRO has sight, but know one has ever
ordered an SDC version of it. Everybody just makes thier own copies.

I assume this is totally OK and fully blessed.

Any comments?

Don Evenson

  Copying DEC software for internal use is perfectly proper.  Just make sure
  that it is indeed DEC software, and that the use is internal.  There are
  third-party software products you can get from SDC, but these aren't DEC
  software and must not be copied around the net.

  DEC software must not leave the company, unless it is explicitly declared
  in the public domain.  It is common sense that DEC products from SDC must
  not be given away, but internal tools mustn't be given away either.  Tools
  are for sharing ("Submit it to the toolshed," as Stan would say), but only
  within the company.

Our group uses several IBM products for both their PC-XT and Displaywriter.
Each copy is licensed, and may only run on one particular piece of hardware.
We've been "reminded" that we should not copy the software from one system
to another.  The temptation is great to do the copying.  We use the software
in a very minor way, for very short periods, to demo to customers our own
ability to co-exist with the IBM environment.  We have backup machines when
the primary ones fail (quite often).  It does appear though that we will 
try to abide with the rules, and purchase the software for each unit....

bill

For a few DEC products, there are restrictions that require us to treat them
much like external software.  Ultrix and DEC/Shell are the only ones I
can think of, but there might be others.  For these products, DEC must
pay a royalty to a third party (Bell in this case) for every copy we
supply, internally as well as externally.  The SDC keeps count and lets
us settle up accurately.  That is why the DEC/shell is not available as
a network kit.

Some day there may be an agreement allowing us to use those products
without a per copy payment.  I've heard there are negotiations underway.

Re: -.1
Where cost effective and feasible, the company does like to negotiate 
corporate licences with external vendors.    Such licences eliminate the
need to track the numbers of individual licences within the company and
the product can be treated much like a DEC internal product within the
company, ie for internal use but NOT for sale/distribution externally.

DIS do quite a bit of corporate licence negotiation on behalf of internal
MIS.

HP