vote for SID MEIER AND CIVILIZATION!!

[AeonOfTime]

@locutus: I edited out the link. We do indeed not allow links to sites like that.

[sabrewolf]

uhm, was that an illegal site?

aren't the downloadable games of companies that do not exist anymore and/or you cannot buy the game anymore?
DOS games are long gone...

[Solver]

The site is probably not illegal per se, although there are certain doubts about its legality. However, we do not allow links to that or similar sites on Apolyton.

[Locutus]

Originally posted by sabrewolf
aren't the downloadable games of companies that do not exist anymore and/or you cannot buy the game anymore?
DOS games are long gone...

As long as the developers/publishers do not give explicit permission to distribute their products freely, they are still the copyrights holders and therefore the ones to determine if and how the products are distributed, no matter how old they are (well, there is an expiration date for copyright but even the oldest games aren't nearly old enough to qualify for it yet, but even then I'm not sure if electronic products are covered by the usual laws for this).

Sites like the one in question use the opposite reasoning (games can be distributed unless the copyrights holder specifically forbids it), but if we all went through life following that line of reasoning we'd be living in a very chaotic society, to say the least (e.g. you can steal people's stuff unless they explicitly tell you not to).

[Adagio]

I do wonder why some companies explicit tell them they can't share their ages of game. I've seen mentioned on that site for several unknown games from unknown companies say that they don't want their 1980's games avaliable from that site. It's not like they'll make any money selling those games anyway

There's a few companies that did the right thing, like those who makes GTA games have released GTA1/2 for free download on their site, and those games are newer and more wellknown than many of the games that wasn't allowed on the site

[Locutus]

Originally posted by Adagio
I do wonder why some companies explicit tell them they can't share their ages of game. I've seen mentioned on that site for several unknown games from unknown companies say that they don't want their 1980's games avaliable from that site. It's not like they'll make any money selling those games anyway

I couldn't agree more, but they are fully in their right to do so. The thing is that bean counters tend to be extremely suspicious of anything they can't have 100% control over, and completely free distribution of their products is pretty much the best example you can think of of something uncontrollable

There's a few companies that did the right thing, like those who makes GTA games have released GTA1/2 for free download on their site, and those games are newer and more wellknown than many of the games that wasn't allowed on the site

QFT. Rockstar

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Locutus


As long as the developers/publishers do not give explicit permission to distribute their products freely, they are still the copyrights holders and therefore the ones to determine if and how the products are distributed, no matter how old they are (well, there is an expiration date for copyright but even the oldest games aren't nearly old enough to qualify for it yet, but even then I'm not sure if electronic products are covered by the usual laws for this).

Sites like the one in question use the opposite reasoning (games can be distributed unless the copyrights holder specifically forbids it), but if we all went through life following that line of reasoning we'd be living in a very chaotic society, to say the least (e.g. you can steal people's stuff unless they explicitly tell you not to).

Hi, it's been a long time.
What happen to games that belong to a Co. like Micro Prose that went out of business?

[Locutus]

Hey Joseph,
That's a very good question. Then two things can happen to the copyrights and every other asset that that company used to own:

1) They are somehow transfered to a new owner (bought up, auctioned off, claimed, whatever) -- if by noone else then often by the former employees of that company who actually made the products in question. This is by far the most common situation.

2) If noone is interested in them they are abandoned, which in the case of copyrights means noone is left to defend them. It might vary per jurisdiction, but usually this means the copyrights become void and the copyrighted products can be freely distributed. Of course, if someone should plan to distribute such products, they better be 100% sure that the copyright is indeed abandoned, which is not an easy thing to establish...

In case of MicroProse, it didn't go out of business, but rather it was bought up by Hasbro, now Atari. They subsequently abandoned the label and closed down its offices. So the copyrights of all MicroProse games now lie with Atari. At least, as far as they didn't sell them off, as they did with many of Sid Meier's old games (they sold many to Firaxis, but of course Civilization was sold to 2K Games).

As a disclaimer I should note I'm nor a laywer or by any means an expert in this matter, I just have a fair amount of practical experience in dealing with copyrights. If anyone has a practical case, it's highly advisable to seek legal counseling (especially since the copyright laws can vary per jurisdiction).

[Sava]

As a disclaimer I should note I'm nor a laywer or by any means an expert in this matter

but he did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Locutus
Hey Joseph,
That's a very good question. Then two things can happen to the copyrights and every other asset that that company used to own:

1) They are somehow transfered to a new owner (bought up, auctioned off, claimed, whatever) -- if by noone else then often by the former employees of that company who actually made the products in question. This is by far the most common situation.

2) If noone is interested in them they are abandoned, which in the case of copyrights means noone is left to defend them. It might vary per jurisdiction, but usually this means the copyrights become void and the copyrighted products can be freely distributed. Of course, if someone should plan to distribute such products, they better be 100% sure that the copyright is indeed abandoned, which is not an easy thing to establish...

In case of MicroProse, it didn't go out of business, but rather it was bought up by Hasbro, now Atari. They subsequently abandoned the label and closed down its offices. So the copyrights of all MicroProse games now lie with Atari. At least, as far as they didn't sell them off, as they did with many of Sid Meier's old games (they sold many to Firaxis, but of course Civilization was sold to 2K Games).

As a disclaimer I should note I'm nor a laywer or by any means an expert in this matter, I just have a fair amount of practical experience in dealing with copyrights. If anyone has a practical case, it's highly advisable to seek legal counseling (especially since the copyright laws can vary per jurisdiction).

OK, Lets find out who has Red Storm Rising and change Soviet to Red China and the game is still a very good game. One of my favorite.

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Sava


but he did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night

[Sava]

yay, John Carmack overtakes "The Sims" douche...

although I want Sid to win

[Sava]

Sid Meier is closing the gap... he is 3rd now with 40.5%...

John Carmack is winning at 47.3%

Will (sims douche) Wright is 2nd at 43.6%


CMON GUYS, KEEP VOTING...

I HAVE BEEN VOTING EVERY DAY!!!

[Adagio]

And I have been voting each day this thread has been bumped... so you'd better bump it each day or I'll forget

[conmcb25]

I voted thanks for the reminder

CIV is up as well. Last week is was 12 %, today its 17 %.