Expanding FilePro Market

[GCC]

	From: filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com
[mailto:filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com] On Behalf Of Richard
Tartaglias
	Sent: Friday, August 19, 2005 2:25 PM
	To: filepro-list at seaslug.org
	Subject: Expanding FilePro Market

	I have been using FilePro since the days of the Tandy model IIII and it
was called ProFile. Now I about to venture into unknown waters. I may offer for
sale a program that I use in house that there seems to be a market for.   

	I am sure a lot of the people on the list write "for sale programs", so
I thought I would ask the questions rather than take 2 steps forward and 10
back.

	When I buy a FilePro license do I keep it in my name and lease the
rights to the end user along with the program or do they own the rights.
	 

	Should I put some type of security in the code to shut down the software
if maintenance fees are not paid when do.

	I hope these questions are appropriate for this list. It is about
expanding the use of FilePro.   

	 

	Thanks

	Rich Tartaglia

Rich,

I have been developing custom apps for over 25 years now.  In all cases but one
I have retained the rights to the source code. I am a windows only shop.

All development, except for 2 clients, is done in house or running the
development program from my laptop.

I maintain copies of all of my client's software on my server and active
client's on my laptop also.

In most cases, I leave a copy of the source on my client's computers.  But no
development package, just runtime.  

As for stopping access to the system for failing to pay maintenance, as Mark
pointed out, you can't do this.  The one place where you can stop the use, but
again, the client owns the data, is if you are leasing the software.  Here, like
in an auto lease, you can repossess your software for non-payment.  This would
be part of the lease agreement that they would sign with you. However, you must
leave them the data in a readable format.  This can be file dumps or printouts.

Your best insurance for being paid is your control over the source and the fact
that if they don't pay, you don't go or respond very very slowly.  

I had dropped a client some years ago for failure to pay me.  When Y2K was
approaching, I sent him a letter, which looked like it went to all of my
client's who were running older version of fp, advising them that the software
was not Y2K compliant and needed to be upgraded.  I also offered to test there
hardware to make sure it would work.  He actually called FP to check, and after
finding out I was telling the truth, called me.  He very quickly sent me a check
covering what he owed me.  Now he pays me on receipt of invoice and I am doing
quite a bit of work for him again.

Richard Kreiss
GCC Consulting