Well.. I don't consider it right for someone to dig through someone elses garbage. I wouldn't bother with filing a case though, since I never throw things that could compromise my privacy in the regular trash. Even old bills and receipts can easily be used maliciously against you should someone want to do you harm.

If someone finds a pile of horse poo on the road and pick it up to use as fertilizer, they're doing a public service and I'd be happy to let them keep it.

---- Double post --- MEH!

Do you mean that downloading first three types of abandonware is against the copyright law?

Can u explain how downloading freewares(as in type 1 to 3) is against law?

 

Or Your garbages are copyright?

 

 

Hey Mr Crane Beware Its Copyright.....

 

 

 

 

I was referring to Stardock products, and I definately don't think they are garbage

By Garbage my meaning was the thing which is no longer of any use for u and u have thrown it ...It simply means that....and nothing else....its upto u what u interpret.... "I was referring to Stardock products, and I definately don't think they are garbage" I never hope not only for Stardock but also for any software company that they have to get bankrupt.... And I clearly said that of downloading only those softwares that are declared by themselves the freewares... I never talked of getting those that weren't released as freewares... Thats all what I said... PS.- My Net Conx is Down Today

Heman, the first 3 scenarios would probably not fall under abandonware, but more as of GPL or GNU licenced, as the Copyright owners gave the general public free reign to that specific item. * providing the public follow the terms of GPL or GNU licence provisions* thus being free for all to use and enjoy.

In the last case, "True Abandonware" where the company closed it's doors without releasing the item. It would still be held under Copyright. Those copyrights could possibly be held or maintained by the Bankruptcy courts, until they are "if at all" distributed to the creditors to who the orginating company owed Funds too. They can also be sold off by auction if they are deemed valuable and worth a monetary value. The funds from the sale would then be distributed amongst the creditors. This all depending on the courts decisions.

As for Trash.. Trash is knowingly thrown away, there for it would fall under abandonment, as you willingly tossed it away. But it could also be argued if the trash was placed in to a recepticle, the owner of said recepticle would be the owner of the trash. * possibly including "Intentional transfer of ownership" if the owner of the recepticle is not the same as the original owner of the deposited trash. California has private refuse companies Who own the recepticles, once trash is placed in them, technically the ownership and responsibility of disposal falls on the owning company.

 

Also for those who think a person breaks a law or can be classified a criminal only when caught.  The minute you Break a law wether it is known by law offocials or not, you have violated a law. While technically one is Deemed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law In the US, If you know you broke the law, you are still guilty of a criminal act. Even if it never comes to light. If you tell a lie, is it still not a lie even if never discovered?

We all have a bit of larceny in us, it's human. It's up to us and our moral fibre to decide for ourselves what is "our acceptible level". While Society will judge people when caught, their consciences will judge them when not.

TG_Terminator, Plz read my name correctly....

Types Of Abandonware a/c wikipedia...............

• Commercial software unsupported but still owned by a viable company: The availability of the software depends on the company's attitude toward the software. In many cases, the company which owns the software rights may not be that which originated it, or may not recognize their ownership. Some companies, such as Borland, make some software available online, in a form of freeware. Others do not make old versions available for free use and do not permit people to copy the software.

• Commercial software apparently owned by a company no longer in business: Often, no entity defends the copyright if such software is put onto abandonware websites. An example of this is Digital Researchs original PL/I compiler for MS-DOS. However, the rights to the software may have been bought by another company or have reverted to its original authors, who could file lawsuits against those copying software without permission.

• Shareware whose author still makes it available: Finding historical versions, however, can be difficult since most shareware archives remove past versions with the release of new versions. Authors may or may not make older releases available. Some websites collect and offer for download old versions of shareware, freeware, and (in some cases) commercial applications. In some cases these sites had to remove past versions of software, particularly if the company producing that software still maintains it, or if later software releases introduce Digital Rights Management, whereby old versions could be viewed as DRM circumvention.

• Unsupported or unmaintained shareware: Again, finding historical versions may be possible, but very difficult.

• Opensource and freeware programs that have been abandoned: In some cases, source code remains available, which can prove a historical artifact.

And Talisgil, I  couldnt find any good contra... not even in games shop.... there were none which support gamepads...

Any TPS which does?

Sorry heman, for the spelling error

Contra Hard Corps is all I've played, and that was either for megadrive, or SNS

Edit: I found some Contra.. and hehe, it's so-called abandonware, and it's up to you.. I'd rather get a secondhand console and get a copy of the game I've been guilty of using emulators and roms, many times actually, years ago, but not anymore, the real thing is better, and guilt-free

 

Yeah! emulators suck! I own a NES SNES 2xGBA GC XBOX 2xPS2 PS3... next a Wii and 360.. also looking for a good Saturn and Dreamcast 3DO Jaguar... Nothing beats the real thing

 

my appologies heman, as it is 4:00 am here, I mis read it. * it has been corrected*

While wikipedia may have a list of types popularly referd to as "Abandonware" if a company or private party holds copyrights and has not relinquished them to the public for free consumption, they are technically not "abandoned" tho they may be discontinued or unsupported. The owner of the copyrights still has the right to sue any and all distributors of the software if they choose.

They have mixed abandonware* software which has been left for dead and offered off to the public for free use* and shelved ware * that which has been dropped development but the Copyrights are still maintained by the owner.

I realize they are loosely grouping the two types together which some use to state "since it is abandoned it's free game" but really if the owners wanted to they could go after those distributing the items.

 

Lets put it in other terms. You own a car lot and manufacture cars. but decide not to build last years model and only offer this years. but someone buys last years model from some where, and starts building exact replicas. Claiming you abandoned the body style and stuff since you stopped making it. Does that make it abandonware? No, as the copyright holder of that body style and model you have the right to not have others take your work/design/etc. wether you wish to continue to develop them or not and use them for thier own purposes without your concent.

 

 

Step 1.

Never cite Wikipedia as an authority.

It is freestyle opinion, nothing more.

Last time I looked [just about the last time I bothered to look at Wiki] I was something like Hitler's and Goering's lost love-child [or some-such].

'abandonware' is a quaint term coined by people with a motive...to justify [hopefully in the minds of others] that what they have 'found' [read - 'taken'] is guilt-free because they BELIEVE they are right.

There would be no reason to live.

lol Karen hehehe

 

voidcore, me too, I have a lot of old consoles, you should see my megadrive/genesis, it's held together with sticky tape  but I love it though, every now and then I play good old Earthworm Jim, Sonic, Road Rash and a few other classics

My saturn was stolen by a neighbour years ago, and about $2000 worth of games and accessories, and my steering wheel for Sega Ralley, Daytona.. and my guns for Virtua Cop