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From: gray@ibis.cs.umass.edu (Lyle Gray)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: PD and Piracy (Re: Snakebyte)
Message-ID: <31086@dime.cs.umass.edu>
Date: 25 May 91 02:36:27 GMT
References: <757@generic.UUCP> <31006@dime.cs.umass.edu> <1991May24.160137.1152@husc3.harvard.edu>
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Reply-To: gray@ibis.cs.umass.edu (Lyle Gray)
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
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In article <1991May24.160137.1152@husc3.harvard.edu> ehsu@husc9.harvard.edu (Eric Hsu) writes:
>The last article was asking for a copy of Snake Byte, claiming it was in the
>public domain (I haven't heard about that). I was wondering if there was 
>anything illegal about distributing pirated copies of a game that is now public
>domain (no, I don't have a copy... I was just wondering).
>

The article didn't "claim" that Snake Byte was in the public domain -- I had
heard rumors that it was.  If it's not, it's not.

A pirated copy of a game still has the copyright on it.  A public domain copy
probably wouldn't (I say probably, but not necessarily, because freeware can
still be copyrighted).  If the copyright says no copying, then no, you
shouldn't distribute copies.  There may be differences with the copyrighted
version and the public domain version.

I am not looking for pirated software in any form.

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Lyle H. Gray                        Internet (personal): gray@cs.umass.edu
Quodata Corporation             Phone: (203) 728-6777, FAX: (203) 247-0249
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The opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author.