[Bug 449037] Review Request: afio - cpio compatible archiver

[bugzilla at redhat.com]

Please do not reply directly to this email. All additional
comments should be made in the comments box of this bug.


https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=449037





--- Comment #19 from Tom "spot" Callaway <tcallawa at redhat.com>  2008-12-12 10:51:53 EDT ---
So, I was about to try to reach out to Mark when I realized that he doesn't
hold the Copyright on this code, Lachman Associates, Inc. does. Or rather, did.

In 1989, Lachman Associates was purchased by Eastman Kodak's Interactive
Systems subsidiary (formerly ISC, acquired by Kodak in 1988). Kodak sold the
Intel-UNIX operating system portion of Interactive Systems to Sun Microsystems
on September 26, 1991. Kodak sold the remaining parts of ISC to SHL Systemhouse
Inc in 1993.
SHL Systemhouse Inc was purchased by MCI in 1995. MCI became MCI WorldCom in
1998, which became WorldCom in 2000, went into Chapter 11 from 2002-2004, and
was acquired by Verizon in 2005.

It is not clear whether the afio code was considered part of the ISC OS
portion, so the copyright owner could be any of these entities (in order of
probability):

1. Sun Microsystems
2. Verizon (assuming they did not liquidate the IP during Chapter 11)
3. Kodak

(sources:
http://www.lachman.org/
http://www.centergate.com/rlachman.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INTERACTIVE_Systems_Corporation
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3653/is_199510/ai_n8732201
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MCI_Inc.

Now, if Sun does own the copyright from the ISC purchase, they're the most
likely to relicense it with a Free license. Of course, you'd need to find
someone at Sun who was motivated to track this down (and whether they own it or
not).

If Sun doesn't own it, then it is most likely that Verizon or Kodak owns it.
If this is the case, I suspect you have a slim to zero chance of tracking down
someone at either company who is motivated to determine whether they own the
afio Copyright, then who is willing and capable of relicensing that copyrighted
code under a Free license.

I think you have a better chance of finding Jimmy Hoffa, but I wish you all the
best. :/

-- 
Configure bugmail: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email
------- You are receiving this mail because: -------
You are on the CC list for the bug.