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Legal Risks
It is a little known fact that often when you agree to a software vendor's terms of use, the legal ability of anyone other then the vendor to work with the created data is sharply diminished.
Software vendors will often give away their software in an attempt to spread their unique way of storing information. They do this knowing that legally they can make it very difficult for others to understand or even access the data their software has created.
This is one variation of a tactic known as 'vendor lock-in'. There are many examples of this strategy being used in the software industry. There is an extensive explanation of this topic on wikipedia .
One of the most high profile instances of this tactic occurred when Forgent Networks, in 2004, started successfully suing companies for using an in-demand data format they own. Forgent Networks, through its claim of patent protection, was able to sue anyone using the JPEG data format for royalties.
In testament to the chaotic nature of the software industry their legal claim to the the JPEG data format was recently overturned; however, Forgent Networks has the right to appeal the decision.
Acumetric software can help identify this type of threat to your data and offer solutions to avoid the associated legal risks.
Please contact Acumetric for more information.
