Quote:
Originally Posted by Schroeder
A lot of Dos games (and those of the commodore systems) are freeware by now. Therefore the link is likely legit.  |
Unless the game has been explicitly released as freeware or placed in the public domain, the software still has a valid copyright. For the copyright to expire would take 50 years at the least, longer in many countries. There is a difference between freeware and abandonware. (Mainly, freeware has a definition)
BTW- I am a fan of old DOS games. I find there to be much more variation in gameplay and types of games compared to today. I also am no fan of the way software copyrights are maintained on old games. Seriously, no one is making money off of these games anymore. Many of the original copyright holders have gone out of business, or been bought and sold so many times that tracking who actually holds the copyright now is a futile search. I think game companies could survive with a fifteen or twenty year expiration. Hopefully, us fans of old game may someday see that happen.
My original post wasn't to step on toes, I just don't want to see someone loose access to this forum for violating a clear policy.