what does the law say about compaies that don't respond to clearly stated emails asking such questions. I am sure I asked code factory about distribution, etc. They chose to ignore parts of my message I am sure of it. they also took about 2-3 weeks to respond, actually more, maybe a couple munths. They clearly don't care if someone puts them online and bandies them around, and yet... nAt 03:24 p.m. 6/01/2009, you wrote: >Hi Dark, >After my own copyright issues in early 2008 I read up on a lot of legal docs >on U.S. and international copyright law. What I largely discovered is >copyright law isn't a simple black and white issue. I both agree and disagree >with the web master's positions about copyrights. >The one area that U.S. and international copyright law seams to struggle with >is fair use of copyrighted material and intelectual copyrights. Generally, in >such cases the law defers you to the copyrighted holders end user license >agreement for the product, service, or idea in question. However, under the >fair use rights most countries recognize you have the right to use copyrighted >material for educational purposes, to review a copyrighted work in writing or >verbally, and in many cases use a copyrighted work in a non-commercial >copacity. Though, that is a simplified version of the law. Grin. >On one hand the law does protect companies from someone illegally >redistributing their works without prier written permission. However, on the >fair use provisions I may indeed have a right to some use of the product in >question do to other factors. >for example, Activisions most popular game, Packman, came out in 1982. That >version was neither accessible nor is it supported any longer by activision. >If I install Stella for windows and a Packman bin file am I actually breaking >the law? In one sense no, because I legally do own the game, and want to be >able to play it on my gaming machine. Under fair use I may have a legal right >to the bin file. However, if I pass that bin file to someone I know who does >not legally own the 1982 Packman game I could then be breaking the law, >because that person has not purchased a license for that product even though >Activision no longer sells the product. Thus making it difficult to get a >legal license outside of buying a used Packman game off of Ebay etc. >Basically what I am getting at is we are entering the land of what if. All to >often the law itself doesn't give a clear enough answer to these intelectual >copyright issues like, "what rights to I have to copy an idea or product if it >isn't accessible and wish to do so?" Another one is, "do I have the right to >share software that is no longer being sold, produced, supported, by the >manufacturer?" >Fact is there is no clear answer in the law I can see. The law generally says >ask the manufacturer how they feel about this or that and that is that. >Unfortunately a company may not exist, the original creater might be dead, or >the company in question just might be totally anal about their copyrights >restricting you unfairly from a copyright that they guard with their lives. > > > > > >dark wrote: >>Just in this debate, i thought this site and artical about the infocom text >>adventure games might be of use. >>I'd like to point out that 1, I agree hole heartedly with the web master, and >>2, he's had the page up for about six years and no company has batted an >>eyelid. >>I'd stil prefer to actually have the company formally state that the games >>are abandonware for obvious reasons, but given the small amount of audio >>games, and the work which has gone into their production I'd be very much >>inclined to this position if all else fails, ---- with the obvious proviso >>(as the webmaster here says about the old Infocom games), that the second >>code factory change their minds on the game status, any abandonware copies >>would hense forth be counted as illegal and any self-respecting gamer or >>games website would remove them from his/her computer or web space. >>Please see http://if.illuminion.de/infocom.html >> >>For the full position. >>Beware the Grue! >>Dark. > > >--- >Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org >If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. >You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at >http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. >All messages are archived and can be searched and read at >http://www.mail-archive.com/gam...@audyssey.org. >If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, >please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
--- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gam...@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
