licenses and law

[Daniel Heiserer]

Hi John ,
> 
> On 22-Jan-1999, Daniel Heiserer <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
> | El Jeffo wrote:
> | >
> | > Anyone familiar with the matlab function "step()" which kinda gives a
> | > graph of some lti system?  or can I just steal the step.m file from matlab
> | > and use it in octave?  Anyone else ever borrowed .m files from matlab?  Is
> | > it legal?  (just want a matlab like program for linux cause I don't want
> | > to reboot to windows)
> | >
> |
> | I won't steel it (Copyright) ;-). But if you have it, you probably paid
> | for it
> | and than it's yours and you can do with it what you want (I think).
> 
> I think not.  I would bet that the copyright and/or license severely
> restricts what you can do with it.

Well I am not sure if that works (legally). I am not a legal (?) expert.
I think you cannot restrict the usage of something you sell.
Think of .....

Assume you sell a knife and say it is only allowed to cut tomatoes.
If I want a use it for playing darts I don't think that somebody can 
resrict me from that (as long as I don't aim on somebody).
Or assume I would really buy MS-Ofiice, I don't think that they could
restrict me NOT using it under linux' wine (perhaps they think, but they
don't make the laws).
Assume you buy a BMW, BMW cannot forbid you to drive in your garden with
it.

........

??????? I am not sure, but I think this an interestin area. 
Any comments from "legal experts"?




-- 
Mit freundlichen Gruessen
                                 Daniel Heiserer
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Dipl.-Phys. Daniel Heiserer, BMW AG, Knorrstrasse 147, 80788 Muenchen
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