When dealing with something like software, there's a concept called "fair use".

You have already paid for Version 6 and any upgrades. This (IMO) entitles you (alone) to continue to enjoy the benefits there from (from the "original" AND the "upgrades").

The intent of "upgrades" (vs "original" versions) was that you can't sell the "original" if you're using the "upgrade(s)". If you sell the "original", you need to stop using the "upgrades". If you sell the "upgrades", you pretty well have to sell the "original".

The main point is, there is only ONE licensee (person) using the "software" (original and upgrades) at any one time.

Any argument against "fair use" is based on the premise that one is depriving the licensor (ie. MS) of "what they're due". In the case of the "software", when it is being used by only one person, no argument can be made that MS is somehow being "deprived".

If one had VFP 6 and 7 applications "in the field" and now upgraded to VFP 8, the implication is that you would no longer be able to support those applications (ie. Users). That hardly seems "fair".

Anyway, this almost sounds like "retroactive (un)licensing"; which sounds like a pretty weak premise.

I see no problem (and I think the courts would agree) with you developing software in version 6, 7, 8 ... as long it is only 1 person.

Canada, the US, and many countries all subscribe to the same international copyright treaty. If you check the sections on "fair use", I think you will see you have a legal right to use your "original" and it's "upgrades".

As a side note: almost all software licences prohibit "reverse-engineering"; in fact, under "fair use", reverse-engineering is permitted.

If I was a "cynical" person (who me ?), and based on the "fact" that VFP 8 supposedly is intended for "non Win98" development (and possible future deployment), I might think this is more about getting developers and Users to move from Win98 to W2K/XP than anything else (which would be "unfair", IMO).

>Now with VFP 8 it's another ball game. Upgrading to VFP8 means that development with lower versions must stop.
>
>I bought some cool third party tools that allow me to build nice applications with VFP6. But with VFP7 I have some problems. So for now it's not too bad because I can still use VFP6.
>
>So if I have problems with these third party tools with VFP7 I don't see why I would'nt have the same problems with VFP8.