Re: anyone ever gotten xerox to clarify the MOO license before?

• Date: Wed, 8 Jan 1997 16:43:40 PST
• From:
  Pavel Curtis <Pavel@placeware.com>
• Cc: moo-cows@parc.xerox.com
• Fake-Sender: pavel@parc.xerox.com
• In-reply-to: Eric Mercer's message of "Wed, 08 Jan 1997 16:19:08 PST" <3.0.32.19970108191734.006acd50@popd.netcruiser>

Eric Mercer writes:
> copyright.  Xerox may, under law, stop distributing for free the LambdaMOO
> server at any time.  I'm sure that their game plan in such things is to
> wait and see if there's any commercial potential sufficient to recoup the
> expenses of a commercial release.  So far no, but potentially yes.  But
> that's what labs like PARC are about.  Let'm play and see if they come up
> with something commercially viable.

I just had to step in on this topic.  Please note first, however, that I no
longer work for the Xerox Corporation and cannot therefore make any
authoritative statements on their behalf; everything I say here is simply my
private opinion.

I think that there is essentially *zero* chance of Xerox ever caring one whit
about commercialization of the LambdaMOO server code or the LambdaCore
database.  Similarly, I think the odds are better of your computer
spontaneously shattering into powder than of Xerox ever causing anybody any
trouble for using the server code or LambdaCore database in *any* context,
including selling it as-is.  Bottom line: I wouldn't sweat this issue.

Given that, there's fairly little incentive for Xerox to put in any effort at
all to clear up the current legal muddiness over the status of these artifacts;
any such attempt would cost them time and effort (i.e., money) for no return
that Xerox values.  I would be surprised if they ever did so, absent something
weird happening, like somebody suing them over the ownership question.

> law, too.  There were also some very well informed posts following up my
> posting <http://www.ucet.ufl.edu/writing/mail-archives/moo-cows/4269.html>
> asking for LambdaCore copyright/license clarification on 8/29/96
> <http://www.ucet.ufl.edu/writing/mail-archives/moo-cows/>, though no
> LambdaMOO wizards chose to respond to that.  Ah well....

For similar reasons, it is highly unlikely that the LambdaMOO wizards will ever
step in and attempt to assert any clear position concerning LambdaCore; there's
essentially no upside benefit from us doing so and considerable downside risk,
given that no court has ever ruled on the copyright status of such an artifact
(at least, not that I know of, and I have no incentive to spend money having a
lawyer look into it).

Enjoy!

	Pavel

• Re: anyone ever gotten xerox to clarify the MOO license before?
• From: Eric Mercer <mercere@netcom.ca>

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