[DECtalk] decTalk and speech-fx-inc

[Josh Kennedy]

Well, I did tell Roger that I am using a decTalk addon made by an unknown author which is probably illegal. He did not even get back to me about that issue. I wonder if he will try to take me to court and sue me for using the decTalk access32 NVDA addon made by the unknown author? I just use the addon on my personal tablet/laptop for personal use only. Roger did not even threaten me with legal action in any of his emails when I mentioned I use the illegal addon. Instead, rather, he just simply ignored the fact that I am using such an addon, and am also using the speak-windows of various decTalk versions, again for personal use only. I wonder if speech-fx even cares I am using this software? I did tell Roger I am blind and on social security, maybe he figures its not worth taking me to court over using an illegal decTalk access32 NVDA-addon? 

Josh


Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Don
Sent: Monday, July 22, 2019 20:42
To: dectalk at bluegrasspals.com
Subject: Re: [DECtalk] decTalk and speech-fx-inc

On 7/22/2019 2:51 PM, Josh Kennedy wrote:
> Hi, Rodger dudly got back to me when I asked him about decTalk licenses. He
> said the following:

> 1. Speech-fx-inc owns all versions of decTalk.

DECTalk started out as KlattTalk.  Then, became MITalk.  DEC acquired
it and gave it the DECtalk name.  I think Force bought the IP from
them (not sure if that was before or after Compaq swallowed DEC) and
eventually passed it on to Fonix -- which became Speech-FX.

Note that this covers all of the DECtalk products, hardware and software
based.  I am not sure if DK released his personal copyright to the KlattTalk
implementation when MITalk came along.  (There are versions of the KlattTalk
source code floating around the web.)

There are many Klatt-ish synthesizers designs available as much of the
technology behind the underlying design was published and many of the
components of the early versions were also accessible "to the public"
either as scholarly papers or through government-funded grants.

Having said that, there was (and still is!) always room for refinement
so subsequent owners of the IP do have a stake in its later/current form.

> 2. If I want a legal version of decTalk that can be purchased as a good
> NVDA-addon, sapi5, and speak-window-apps, I have to contact a decTalk
> licensee or license holder.

There are several issues related to intellectual property.  I suspect
ownership of each of them was transfered completely in each "sale".

"DECtalk" is likely a registered trademark (I'd have to check, to be sure).
As such, you can't call something "DECtalk" unless you are theowner of that
trademark.

The source code for the implementation(s) will be covered by copyright
which, no doubt, was assigned to each of these successive owners (otherwise,
the copyright only survives the original author's death by 70 (!) years.
Thereafter, it passes into the public domain.  The term used to be longer
for copyrights held by corporate entities but I've not kept up on those
details.

Any novel inventions that were patented would likewise have been
transfered to successive owners.  Patents are subject to cancellation
unless actively defended by the patent holder.  Any invention that is
not protected by patent can be freely reused by others.

Finally, an IP holder can license his IP to one or more entities in
an exclusive or nonexclusive manner.  The terms of the license govern
what the licensor can/can't do with that technology under the license.

Software is typically covered by a license.  You, as a user, don't own
the software.  Rather, you've purchased a right to use it subject to the
terms of the license that was offered to you.  The license is often
transferable -- as the comments from Dudley appear to suggest.  If
you purchase a transferable license from a license holder, then you
now have the rights afforded to that license holder.  He forfeits his
rights in the process.  So, the total number of licenses can never increase
unless the owner of the IP sells additional ones.

> The issue here is all the companies that sold decTalk either don’t exist or
> do not sell it anymore in any form. So its like speech-fx owns something
> that nobody uses anymore and is just sitting on the copyright saying he owns
> it. I don’t think there is any license holders for the decTalk software dll
> files anymore because they

That's not true.  Anyone who legitimately purchased a license is still
the owner of that license.  Whether or not they are taking advantage of the
terms of the license is a different story.

> 1. Stopped selling all forms of the product and

The practical problem, here, is that you'll have a hard time finding these
likely "individual" owners who were end-user purchasers of licenses.

I purchased my first AutoCAD license from a colleague who no longer had
a need for the product -- around version 2.1!  Thereafter, I owned his
usage rights to the product (along with the right to upgrade it) and
he, supposedly, stopped using it.

> 2. All companies who sold decTalk access32 went out of business or got
> swallowed up by other bigger companies.
Again, if you find a legitimate Access32 license holder who is willing to
sell (or gift) his license to you, then you become a legitimate license
holder.  The value of this transaction is something that you and he set
(my AutoCAD license cost me $1 when AutoCAD was selling for $2000).

In practice, people pirate software all the time thinking it's a victimless
crime.  But, just because you aren't driving your car doesn't mean someone
who really wants or needs it can TAKE it!

Can you spell "rationalizing"?

Stealing software or other intellectual property discourages owners from
developing or further refining that property.  So, thieves and legitimate
users alike suffer.  There are lots of techniques that are used to try
to limit this "loss" -- each increases the overall cost of the product
and, possibly, makes it less user-friendly.

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