--- In hercules-advocacy@yahoogroups.com, "somitcw" <somitcw@...> wrote:
>
> --- In hercules-390@yahoogroups.com,
> "Phil Dickinson" <phil.dickinson@> wrote:
> >On 20/10/06, Enrico Sorichetti <e.sorichetti@> wrote:
> >> If by "ispf" you mean the Ispf program product
> >>by IBM , well.... it will not run on MVS 3.8.
> > If we had an old enough version it would run
> >on MVS 3.8J.
> > Both SPF and ISPF worked on this old MVS.
> > But even if we could find the right distribution
> >files, we might have dificulty convincing IBM to
> >license its use under hercules.
>
> SPF HPF1102 5668-009 was available in 1980.
> Were there earlier SPF releases?
>
> Please answer on hercules-advocacy:
> If the copyright is 1980, how many more decades
> will it be before it expires?
> Could IBM refuse a company that started sending in
> monthly or a one-time-charge license fee or fees?
>

Yes there was. About 1979/1980 there was a version called SPF which
was an FDP. About 1982 or so, SPF was split into two different
products: ISPF and PDF.

As for making a payment to IBM for SPF (or ISPF/PDF), IBM could
return the check stating "no such product". As well as you not having
an account with IBM.