Purchased License in 1998, still valid?

[livelyjay]

Back around the time when Winamp first arrived in the scene, in 1998 or 1999 if I remember correctly, I purchased a license to support Winamp. It was in the range of $15 or $25. I was wondering if that license is still good for a copy of WinAmp Pro and if Nullsoft will still have my records?

[NJK]

Originally posted by livelyjay
in 1998 or 1999 if I remember correctly, I purchased a license to support Winamp. It was in the range of $15 or $25. I was wondering if that license is still good for a copy of WinAmp Pro and if Nullsoft will still have my records?

nope
completely different product.
in those days you supported the winamp player
nowdays you pay for the sonic burning and ripping engine that is included in the player.

[livelyjay]

Figured. WinAmp went freeware about a week after I purchased the license too, kind of pissed me off. Oh well, at least I helped them out a little bit in the beginning. Thanks for the quick reply.

[modmaker]

Your license is indeed valid. If you still have a copy of the license it said ALL future versions of Winamp.

People here claim Winamp today is not the same Winamp as it was back then. But fact remains; Winamp back then was an MP3-player and todays it's an (drumroll) ... MP3-player.

There would be a difference if Winamp today would be the brand of a vaccuum cleaner or operating system, but it's not. It's basically an MP3-player and ff it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, it's probably a...

NullSoft claim all those licenses went void and null when AOL acquired the whole company but that's not the truth. There's nothing that indicates that NullSoft tried to hide the licensing model away from AOL. So, AOL must have had knowledge about it when acquiring Winamp.
This means they take responsibility for fullfilling all businesses, products and promises former Nullsoft has made.

As an example ABB, Ltd. d/b/a Combustion Engineering, the world's largest manufacturer of power transformers, was sued numerous times on products liability and tort theories for the injuries and damages that they claimed that they sustained as a result of exposure to asbestos used by Combustion Engineering in boilers that it designed, manufactured and sold. These products were all manufactured before ABB acquired Combustion Engineering however ABB, Ltd. had to pay more than $900 million in judgement and settlements in beginning in the 1990s and sought bankruptcy protection when its insurance was exhausted.

Same goes here. When buying a company, you don't just buy parts of your coosing, you buy the whole company, unless negotiated.

So, WinAMP is still an MP3-player, not a vaccuum cleaner, therefore I'd say your license is definately still valid.
Althogh you might have to fight it in court.

As for me, i download the version I want to use off the file sharing networks, confident that I have a valid license, no matter what AOL claims.

[DrO]

what went on the license then is different from what it is now. there was no sonic engine, coding technologies or other aspects which have been incorporated into the program with unrestricted access for the advanced parts of these features in the pro version.

what was covered under the old shareware license of the program (pre 2.5 and AOL purchase) is now offered as the normal/free version of the player. also i wouldn't be surprised if the old license refered to WinAMP in it which is no longer a product anyway since it's Winamp and has been for a number of years which i'm sure would affect things since the license is against the old, discontinued product.

-daz

[JonnyMac]

blah, DrO posted as I was typing. Oh well here it is anyway...

The registration fee for Winamp Pro covers the cost of the per user licensing fee for high speed burning and MP3 ripping component of Winamp. The burning/ripping component is provided by a third party company.

Winamp (the media player) in of it self is still free, however the third party burning/ripping component is not. Winamp Full (the free version) has many more features as compared to the shareware version way back when. Prior to WA5, it was said the chance Winamp having "built-in" ripping and burning was unlikely because of the cost/licensing issue. However, the demand got to be so great that it finally came about. The license for the third party burning/ripping component is separate from the shareware registration of Winamp.


BTW Moving from WATS to WA Discussion

[d3x7r0]

And btw he bought Winamp 1.x (or 2.x) and we are now in winamp 5.x... I really doubt I could buy a photoshop 1.0 licence and upgrade to CS 2.0 LOOL :P

[modmaker]

The license (which was NOT shareware, it explicitly stated that at the moment it didn't give any extras apart from the pleasure of supporting the developers, gave explicit permission to use any or all future versions of Winamp) doesn't cover any Sonic thingamabob, it covers Winamp! If winamp contains a Sonic tingamabob, then it's between Sonic and AOL to sort out the licensing, the Winamp license grants it's user to use the software Winamp and everything included in it, in all versions.

The license doesn't make any distinction between a shareware or any other versions of Winamp. The license says it covers ALL versions (pro, turbo, super or whatever superlative), present and future versions of the program called Winamp.

The License doesn't have an expiration date. Nor does it state anything about "If we choose to incorporate a Sonic Thingamabob, then this license will automatically be void".
It says "Valid for current and ALL future versions of Winamp". And Winamp Pro is indeed called WINAMP Pro, not "Sonic thingamabob Pro".

The thing is, AOL wanted the name Winamp, bad. But didn't want the responsibility that CAME with the name.

I can understand how incorporating third party software might cost AOL licensing fees, but I don't understand how that would have an effect on people having a valid life time Winamp license.

[modmaker]

d3x7r0: If your License said you could, you would.

Like if you had bought a DVD-player and your manual stated you would be able to download firmware support for VCD, DivX and Xvid in the future for free. But once the company releases the firmware upgrade they want to charge you $100 for it?

[DJ Egg]

Yes, the old shareware license covered Winamp, before it was purchased by aol and made freeware back in 1999.
However, Winamp is still free. Winamp Pro is not.
End of story.

[NJK]

it's the same old song and dance again from those who think they know all about laws.

our dear MR Modmaker isn't aware of the situation and thinks that he knows exactly how these things are.

before AOL stepped in you paid Nullsoft for features that nowdays are FREE.
so your payment still gives you exactly what you paid for.
the extra things that are in the PRO version nowdays are totally different.
it's paying for a ripping and burning engine from a third party.

somehow I can understand that with my limited knowledge of laws and licensens but some can't

edit

time for this
http://www.chillymouse.nl/anigif01/slot.GIF

[modmaker]

The three magic keywords in the license is still: "ALL FUTURE VERSIONS".

The license doesn't cover any instance where any third party software is included with Winamp, hell, for all I care a Mercedes could be included with the latest version, and the license would still be valid as long as the main product is still a Winamp software-based MP3-player.

But both you and I know this discussion doesn't lead anywhere.

After having read numerous of curious questions from people who backed Nullsoft back in the days they needed it by buying a license of a program they appreciated and used on a regular basis, to the ignorant Justin-wannabees who take on the role of AOL-fanboys to explain how Winamp is not really anylonger Winamp, although it's still called Winamp, and behaves like Winamp, and looks like Winamp, but it's not really Winamp, I just felt I had to put my two lousy cents in.

I've read posts about claims that the License nowadays is void, but no real evidence. Just jealous remarks from people who missed the train back then. "Whatif I had bought Photoshop 1.0 back then..." *LOL*

Last post in this thread.

[livelyjay]

Everyone has posted valid comments and views on this topic, no need to get heated about it. Since I have no documentation stating that I have a license, I probably don't have a leg to stand on. Not like I'm going to take anyone to court over this any ways, I'm not that concerned, just more curious. Mods can go ahead and close up the thread, and thanks for the information from both sides of the fence.

[DJ Egg]

All future versions of "Winamp". Not "Winamp Pro".
Winamp is still freeware.
When I said "end of story" above, I meant it!