Petition to SCO for licenses

From: Warren Toomey < wkt@henry.cs.adfa.oz.au>
Message-Id: <199706270124.LAA06719@henry.cs.adfa.oz.au>
Subject: Petition to SCO for licenses
To: oldunix@minnie.cs.adfa.oz.au (PDP Unix Preservation)
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 1997 11:24:14 +1000 (EST)
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Dear PDP-11 UNIX people,

	The small response to my suggestions about lobbying SCO for source
licenses brought some volunteers for the cause, and a preference for a
single petition to SCO rather than mail-bombing :-) If you didn't respond,
please let me know what you think & if you're willing to help out.

I've written a draft petition, which is attached below, and is also
available (with some hyperlinks) at
http://minnie.cs.adfa.oz.au/PUPS/petition.html

Is there anything in the draft you disagree with, or wish to change?
Please let me know!!

	Warren


The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
Dear Sirs/Madams,

We, the undersigned, are a group of people who are interested in obtaining
source code and binary copies of the versions of UNIX that ran on the PDP-11
range of computers from Digital Equipment Corporation. We would like to
have copies of these versions of UNIX because:

	+ they are of great historical importance, and/or
	+ we personally own PDP-11 computers on which these systems will run.

The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. owns the copyright to these very old versions
of UNIX. We understand and appreciate that SCO wishes to protect their
intellectual property within, and ownership of, these versions of UNIX.
Therefore, we wish to petition SCO to make available source code and binary
licenses of these versions of UNIX so that:

	+ we can legally own source code and binaries for PDP-11 UNIXes, and
	+ SCO's copyright and intellectual property is protected.

We would be happy to purchase and be legally bound by a source code and
binary license for PDP-11 UNIXes that meets SCO's requirements, as long as:

	+ the license covers the entire distributions (source code, binaries
	  and documentation) of the following versions of UNIX:

		- 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Edition UNIX
		- 32V UNIX
		- PWB/UNIX
		- those portions of all 2BSD releases which are derived
		  from UNIX source code

	+ we have the right to make changes to the source code of the
	  above versions of UNIX

	+ we have the right to distribute our changes to other people who
	  have signed and agreed to the source code and binary license for
	  PDP-11 UNIXes

	+ we have the right to install UNIX binaries on PDP-11 hardware
	  and PDP-11 emulating software

	+ we have the right to allow other people to use the UNIX binaries
	  on such an installation

Note that the latter is already permitted, given SCO's binary license agreement
for 5th, 6th and 7th Edition UNIX. We would also be happy with the following
conditions imposed in the source code and binary license for PDP-11 UNIXes:

	+ no resale of the license is permitted
	+ source code covered by the license cannot be distributed or
	  disclosed to people not covered by the license
        + no commercial usage of the source code or binaries is permitted
	+ SCO is not required to include copies of any source code, binaries
	  or documentation with the source code and binary license for PDP-11
	  UNIXes

On a recent survey of people interested in such a license (see
http://minnie.cs.adfa.oz.au/PUPS/), over 120 people responded. Most of
the respondents would agree to a license with the conditions and limitations
outlined above, if the cost of such a license was less than US$200.

We urge you to consider

	+ the historical significance of the UNIX operating system,
	+ that the PDP-11 versions of UNIX are essentially obsolete,
	+ that superior UNIX-like operating systems, libraries and
	  applications are freely available in source code form,
	+ that the source code to 6th Edition UNIX is publically available
	  in printed form (Lion's Commentary on 6th Edition UNIX, Peer to
	  Peer Communications, Inc.)

and make personal-use non-disclosure source code and binaries licenses
for PDP-11 UNIXes available at a price which we can afford as individuals.

The UNIX community has played an extremely important role in the development
and success of the UNIX operating system. The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc., as
owners of the UNIX operating system source, would be repaying the UNIX
community in some measure by providing source licenses for these old versions
of UNIX. Although you would not profit greatly from the licenses, you would
earn the respect and appreciation from many people who helped make UNIX what
it is today.

Thank you for your time. Your response to our petition will be appreciated,
and can be sent via Internet e-mail to Warren Toomey wkt@cs.adfa.oz.au.

Sincerely yours,

	The undersigned