Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!umigw!mthvax!bsherman From: bsherman@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (Bob Sherman) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Remembering the classics.. (was:Re: Message-ID: <1990Sep30.220949.7328@mthvax.cs.miami.edu> Date: 30 Sep 90 22:09:49 GMT References: <7261@darkstar.ucsc.edu>, <6394@hub.ucsb.edu> Organization: Not much! Lines: 32 In <6394@hub.ucsb.edu> 6600prao@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Parik Rao) writes: > i don't think patents are "forever". The prob is >there isn't any easy way to figure out if a oldie is >still copyrighted. When some of the older companies >"went under" all their software was bought by big >guys. They still hold the (c). > >The second problem is the protection, all the old >games have very intense protection, so ShrinkIt >cannot pack them. > >prao The problem here is that programs are not patented, but rather are copyrighted, and a copyright exists for life plus either 50 or 75 years after the owner dies.. Since we do not know if someone else has purchased the copyrights on these games, or if they reverted back to the author after the company died, someone would have to track down each author, find out who the owner is, and if it be the author, get something written from them authorizing the release of the code into the public domain.. On the other hand, we do not in fact even know if, just because a copyright notice was placed on the software, the copyright was ever filed with the proper authorities. It is a big mish mash best not toyed with unless you get written notice from the proper copyright holder which may or may not be the author, depending on the terms of the agreement they made on that program. -- bsherman@mthvax.cs.miami.edu | bsherman@pro-exchange | MCI MAIL:BSHERMAN