SCORE 3.1 [Looking to Buy]

[JoshNichols]

I've recently been in contact with a publishing company about doing some engraving work and the owner wants me to try and get SCORE 3.1, as that is what they prefer to use.

Software is transitory, like life itself in this mortal realm. Any company whose business relies on software that is legally unobtainable, unsupported and discontinued is building a house on sand, and needs to re-evaluate their business strategy. I'd just say "That's not available. What current software would you like me to use instead?" (Though I appreciate that he who pays the piper calls the tune.)

TBH, I'm not convinced that SCORE is necessarily the high-water-mark of music engraving, without which all results will be inferior. I dare say you could produce results just as good, if not better, in Finale (albeit in a more labour-intensive process), or other software, depending on the notation.

Besides, there is the EULA which may/may not stipulate that you may not transfer licenses.

If the company is no longer a legal entity, are you still contractually bound by the EULA?

It does appear like you can still purchase the Windows version of WINSCORE 5.01, which I don't think really ever caught on with SCORE users:
http://www.maresova.net/winscore/purchase.html

That link says "You may also wish to purchase the Adobe Type Basics package, as its use in WINSCORE is highly recommended for displaying text fonts on the screen."
Adobe Type Basics is itself a discontinued product, consisting of Type 1 PostScript fonts, which are deprecated....

The latest version of WINSCORE is from 8 years ago, so it's barely maintained, too. The San Andreas website has loads of dead links, and a Flash™ video demonstration.

From what I understand from a simple legal perspective: A EULA is a EULA is a EULA. It's a program under pertinent copyright law. Of course, there might be some value with taking it to court and asking for the estate to unlock it and release it as freeware/opensource.

[Fred G. Unn]

San Andreas Press has been defunct since at least 2014.

There are still a couple of email addresses on that site:
stephen@newnotations.com
score@scoremus.com

No idea if either are active, but could be worth following up if the OP is still interested. The website newnotations.com redirects to https://musicsoftwareonline.co.uk/index.php, but they don't have it listed. I guess it's probably just abandonware at this point.

I thought I had found my copy of it on an old backup drive. Check out these file dates, LOL!





There's no SCORE.EXE file though, and no INSTALL.EXE. I guess I intended to back it up but either didn't correctly, or missed copying a folder at some point in the last 20+ years since I last used it.

[benwiggy]

The website newnotations.com redirects to https://musicsoftwareonline.co.uk/index.php, but they don't have it listed.

New Notations has been a leading UK engraving house for many years, using SCORE, and they are still going. In fact, the About page of the new site says that they 'are' the European distributor for WinScore.

Certainly worth giving them an email to ask.

[JoshNichols]

San Andreas Press has been defunct since at least 2014.

There are still a couple of email addresses on that site:
stephen@newnotations.com
score@scoremus.com

No idea if either are active, but could be worth following up if the OP is still interested. The website newnotations.com redirects to https://musicsoftwareonline.co.uk/index.php, but they don't have it listed. I guess it's probably just abandonware at this point.

I thought I had found my copy of it on an old backup drive. Check out these file dates, LOL!





There's no SCORE.EXE file though, and no INSTALL.EXE. I guess I intended to back it up but either didn't correctly, or missed copying a folder at some point in the last 20+ years since I last used it.

Other than Ben's comment, all I have to say is I have been trying to buy it for many years, and have had zero responses.