since we're on the subject of legality...

[rebeltaz]

I am not quite sure how to read the paragraph above but I just want to make sure that everybody understands our position here.

On, no... my comments were not aimed at this forum. I fully respect the position of this forum, that's why I asked first. My comments were aimed at the money grubbing, power hungry big business companies.

If I started in on that subject, we'd all be here a while! :twisted: <cough>$500photoshop<cough> Oh, excuse me... That's another subject for another rainy day.

Thank you all for the responses... I din;t know this would generate as much response as it has!

 

[Trixter]

Here's where the question of legality comes in. I love this program. I want to be able to share it with all of you.

Then you'd better distribute instructions on how to install and use an emulator, because the printer support is limited to 9-pin dot-matrix in that program and you're going to need an emulator that can emulate, say, an Epson FX-80. And hopefully you have a crack, because it's copy-protected.

I definitely release stuff into the wild that has never been seen before in the interest of historical record and preservation. That's why I released Toy Shop half a decade ago and if you look in the right places you will find it.

I am judicious about what I release. If it's a piece of intellectual property that companies are still making money off of, like the Sierra "Quest" series (ie. their retro compilation pack) or common arcade games like Asteroids/Pac-Man/etc., I don't distribute it. If it's a program that only works with 9-pin dot-matrix printers and 5.25" disk drives, I have no qualms about preserving history.

 

[Chuck(G)]

I am judicious about what I release. If it's a piece of intellectual property that companies are still making money off of, like the Sierra "Quest" series (ie. their retro compilation pack) or common arcade games like Asteroids/Pac-Man/etc., I don't distribute it. If it's a program that only works with 9-pin dot-matrix printers and 5.25" disk drives, I have no qualms about preserving history.

So you'll be releasing copies of Lotus 1-2-3 any day now? (Copy protected 5.25" with very basic printer support).
:shocked:

 

[gerrydoire]

On, no... my comments were not aimed at this forum. I fully respect the position of this forum, that's why I asked first. My comments were aimed at the money grubbing, power hungry big business companies.

If I started in on that subject, we'd all be here a while! :twisted: <cough>$500photoshop<cough> Oh, excuse me... That's another subject for another rainy day.

Thank you all for the responses... I din;t know this would generate as much response as it has!

I think getting caught up in who pays and who doesn't pay for software is a waste of time, most people do not pay for most of the software they use IMO.

This is based on interacting with many people for many years from all over creation.

That reality moved into the music industry and desomated it, now its happening to the movie industry.

 

[rebeltaz]

Then you'd better distribute instructions on how to install and use an emulator, because the printer support is limited to 9-pin dot-matrix in that program and you're going to need an emulator that can emulate, say, an Epson FX-80. And hopefully you have a crack, because it's copy-protected.

I definitely release stuff into the wild that has never been seen before in the interest of historical record and preservation. That's why I released Toy Shop half a decade ago and if you look in the right places you will find it.

I've searched for a good ten years for a copy of that program... I guess I just didn't look under the right rock...:mrgreen:

As for the printer support, I just happen to have a 9-pin dot matrix laying around. I was just going to release the program as as (with a way to recreate the copy-protected discs) with the assumption that most people into classic software also had classic hardware.

But if you've already done so... no need for me to. Did yours work with modern computers/printers? I would love to find a copy that could...

 

[wmmullaney]

Doesn't virtualapple ditribute broderbond?

 

[barythrin]

Usually (and I'm not sure why to be honest) a lot of emulators are legal to be released, but since the ROM/BIOS has copyrights in the code you can't legally package it with the rom, and it's up to the user who "must" own that system currently to magically make a dump of their rom to use.

The same usually goes for software images, emulator is ok, but you can't release it with software images if the software has a current copyright. The user can if they own the application/game, etc but it's up to the user (yeah I know how dumb that sounds).

But naturally under a few rocks you'll find someone who packaged it all together. And yes, I fully support keeping this stuff free and available but we do that on other sites, not here ;o)

 

[carlsson]

A few rare systems have been granted the publishers' rights to redistribute firmware ROMs with certain emulators. It may not apply to every emulator of a particular system, just those who asked and got a grant.

 

[patscc]

rights

rights

Trixter said...I am judicious about what I release.

Not to sound overly righteous here, but isn't that statement a bit presumptious ?
Did you write the original code ?
Did you work on the original distribution ?
How do you know someone that retains the copyright doesn't have plans to do something with it in the future ?

I mean, I can understand handing off a copy to your bud, but honestly, "releasing" it ?

patscc