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Unable to design a Lotus Notes database

We have a Notes database that was commissioned by us via an external company many years ago (v4). We wish to carry out some in-house modifications to upgrade this to v8.5 and include some additional fields and reporting, however I have been told that the developer we commissioned has "locked" the database template, preventing us carrying out our own development and locking us into using them forever. Is there a way to "unlock" the database?

roylong

The first thing to check is the original contract you had with the external company to see what rights to the database and development they gave you. If you have ownership in the contract then you can ask the company for access.

Alternatively you could just contact the company and see what they say.

Remember that the contract may exclude you from tinkering with this db.

If you do not have a contract then you could just reverse engineer what you have and create a completely new db.

bradpink

ASKER

I understand the whole IP scenario. Should it pan out that the company is no longer able (or prepared) to support this (or has gone out of business in this case), is there a way to "recover" the ability to modify the db? Reverse engineering would be very difficult, as the algoritms and workflow within the database are complex (and access to them is essentially hidden by the inability to access the design).

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roylong

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SOLUTION

gingerdeb

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Sjef Bosman

If the design is really hidden, or if they used script libraries with a %INCLUDE-directive, forget it. The only way is to do some reverse engineering, or to ask the supplier, or to sue them if you're in a good mood.

What sometimes works: make a Notes-copy of the database, it used to open up the design in older versions...

SOLUTION

Emmanuel Gleizer

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RonaldZaal

ScanEZ from Ytria will allow you to unhide the design with a click of a button, but is subject to the same inability to unhide raw lotusscript etc.

Sjef Bosman

@bradpink: any news?

bradpink

ASKER

Thanks all. Unfortunately we have come up against the IP issue again. We either redevelop or pay the pirates! I will save the options should we come up against the issue for other DBs.