If a software vendor doesn't make or support the software anymore, they have in other words "abandoned it". It's always been my belief that you can do what you want with abandonware. Also, if the company no longer exists and the rites were not transfered to someone else, I think you can do what you want with it.
You might download a 25 year old version of PacMan for the Apple II, but technically speaking, Namco still owns PacMan, so you're "stealing". Ridiculous , I know. As if Namco cares you downloaded a 25 years old version for your Apple II.
I think we should be able to exchange serials for software that is no longer supported by the publisher and/or the publisher is no longer in business.
I mean, if I download a 25 year old piece of software, can a software publisher actually argue that they're losing money? It seems unrealistic to think that they would.
When it comes to all this stuff, it's usually one huge gray area. Everyone seems to interpret the law differently, since the laws are usually different from state-to-state, country-to-country. You end up with sites like this that err on the side of caution and ban outright the slightest hint of sharing/linking to 3rd party software.
We love this site and we'd hate to see it "go Megaupload".
@directive0 To your point, you're absolutely right. When I was a kid in the 80s , there was no way we could afford games, etc. We used to trade. I’d get Lode Runner for my birthday and my friend would get Dino Eggs or something and we’d trade copies. Everyone did it. The word “piracy” didn’t even exist. Now that I’m knocking 40, I’ve really been bitten by the vintage Mac bug and have dropped an ungodly amount of money on the hobby of collecting over the past few years.
We’re having so much trouble keeping the computer past of our childhoods alive I fear what it will be like when my kids are 40. Sure, they’ll have their own problems keeping their iPad 15’s going, but it would be nice for them to see where it all began.
You might download a 25 year old version of PacMan for the Apple II, but technically speaking, Namco still owns PacMan, so you're "stealing". Ridiculous , I know. As if Namco cares you downloaded a 25 years old version for your Apple II.
I think we should be able to exchange serials for software that is no longer supported by the publisher and/or the publisher is no longer in business.
I mean, if I download a 25 year old piece of software, can a software publisher actually argue that they're losing money? It seems unrealistic to think that they would.
When it comes to all this stuff, it's usually one huge gray area. Everyone seems to interpret the law differently, since the laws are usually different from state-to-state, country-to-country. You end up with sites like this that err on the side of caution and ban outright the slightest hint of sharing/linking to 3rd party software.
We love this site and we'd hate to see it "go Megaupload".
@directive0 To your point, you're absolutely right. When I was a kid in the 80s , there was no way we could afford games, etc. We used to trade. I’d get Lode Runner for my birthday and my friend would get Dino Eggs or something and we’d trade copies. Everyone did it. The word “piracy” didn’t even exist. Now that I’m knocking 40, I’ve really been bitten by the vintage Mac bug and have dropped an ungodly amount of money on the hobby of collecting over the past few years.
We’re having so much trouble keeping the computer past of our childhoods alive I fear what it will be like when my kids are 40. Sure, they’ll have their own problems keeping their iPad 15’s going, but it would be nice for them to see where it all began.