[pmmail-list] Interest in New Edition of PMMail

[Xav]

Hello Alex,

Wednesday, December 21, 2005, 8:09:00 PM, you wrote:

>>1. The owner can sell it.   This seems to contradict a reason given as
>>to why the OS/2 version could not be made open source, as promised
>>early in 2004.

> At issue is the cost of opening up the source.

> According to the developer, the PMMail/2 source code still contains 
> proprietary pieces.  These have to be replaced before the code can be released
> to the public... and that takes development effort.  As I understand it, since
> (a) he isn't being paid to work on PMMail; (b) he already has a day job that
> takes up all his working time; and (c) he already has other programming work
> that occupies most of his spare time -- he's basically said that he can't do
> the necessary work unless he gets paid for it.  Which is a reasonable 
> position, IMO.

>Walter Metcalf wrote:-

>The wording may vary, but the question is "Is the PMMail for OS/2 source code
>available?"  Some people have asked, "Does VOICE have the source code?"

>The answer to both is questions is that VOICE has in hand a definite offer to sell
>the source code (and the copyright).
>=========================================================

This would imply that something is being sold "as is", without
alteration.  Therefore whatever is being sold includes the proprietary
pieces.  I fail to see what, if the seller can sell all title, needs
to be done by the seller or their agent/developer.  I find the whole
situation murky.  If someone else has an interest that can block open
sourcing it, surely they can block the sale of it.  Either way, it
would appear to have little resale value, other than trying to stiff
someone for a higher price for e.g "emotional attachment" reasons.
Pig in a poke springs to mind.

-- 
Best regards,
 Xav