Legal?

sheaday6 · 03-30-2003, 10:21 PM

Recently, I found a large stash of 5 1/4" floppies. All of these discs had copies of old games on them, 41 total, half of which i had never heard of. I thought, "If I sold these I ebay, I could get at least a couple of dollars." Then I realized that, because they were copies, it might be illegal. Can someone tell me if this is true, because I really want to get rid of them (hopefully in exchange for $).

C Shutt · 03-31-2003, 12:34 AM

If they aren't original copies, then reselling them is illegal. Sorry.

QueZTone · 04-01-2003, 09:07 AM

you have much too learn young one

sheaday6 · 04-01-2003, 07:09 PM

well, can I give them to Goodwill as a tax writeoff?

**elTee** · 04-02-2003, 01:15 PM

If you can prove that they are backup disks, and that the originals have become corrupted then you can sell them. Companies, including LEC, used to recommend to people to copy the floppy disks in case the originals broke.

ThunderPeel2001 · 04-02-2003, 07:57 PM

But also: They're 5 1/4 inch floppies... I SERIOUSLY doubt ANYONE would care... I'm sure there's probably only 5 people left with 5 1/4 inch drives anyway!

~ Johnny

sheaday6 · 04-03-2003, 08:36 PM

can I use them as fire wood?

BooJaka · 04-04-2003, 11:29 AM

Only if it's not to start any illegal fires.

Alien426 · 04-04-2003, 12:05 PM

You could delete the games and sell the antique floppies.

Can you name some of the games?

sheaday6 · 04-04-2003, 07:18 PM

HIJAAK
Flight Simulator
Decathlon
Battle Chess I
Chess
Pool
Putt-Putt
Boxing
Battle Chess II
Police Quest
Space Quest II
NFL Football
Carmen SanDiego
Out Numbered
Gomoku
Blockout
Sub Simulator
Risk
Leisure Suit Larry 2
Sidekick
Mean 18
Leisure Suit Larry
3-k Trivia
Jack Nicklaus Gold
Golf Arhitect
Congo Bongo
World Tournament Golf
Burger Time
Defender
Battle of Britain
Pinball
Leisure Suit Larry 3
Double Dragon
Jeopardy
Wheel of Fortune

*James Isaac* · 05-04-2003, 04:53 AM

Leisure Suit Larry and some others are popular, I'm sure some people would want them.

Joshi · 05-04-2003, 03:10 PM

if they weren't 5"1/4, i'd buy them. and also, Alien426, that would only work if sheaday6 had a 5"1/4 drive to use to delete the files, which very few people do these days, it would involve haveing a very old computer, or a seperate drive for his cutrrent computer which would make no logical sense.

sheaday6 · 05-04-2003, 08:18 PM

i dunno, i think big floppies will make a come back, like vintage clothing or scooby doo

Alien426 · 05-05-2003, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Neil Joshi
...a 5"1/4 drive to use to delete the files...

Just use a magnet.

ThunderPeel2001 · 05-05-2003, 06:18 PM

Just sell the games! The worst that will have is a "cease and desist" letter. Some of the those games might be incredibly rare to collector's DON'T DELETE THEM! (There are some games that NO-ONE has been able to find copies of!)

Quote:

i dunno, i think big floppies will make a come back, like vintage clothing or scooby doo

Funniest thing I've heard in ages!!!

~ John

Joshi · 05-05-2003, 06:44 PM

Police Quest and Space Quest II, thank you and goodnight

**shoots himself in the head**

Bob Gnarly · 05-06-2003, 09:00 AM

those games are all so old...are they the ones with the green text and black backround?

sheaday6 · 05-06-2003, 07:49 PM

i dunno, i haven't actually played them

Bob Gnarly · 05-06-2003, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sheaday6
i dunno, i haven't actually played them

well the copy right of the games does run out eventually so im not sure

**Skinkie** · 05-07-2003, 12:30 AM

Copyrights expire 50 years after the author/creators death. Maybe it's different since they were made by big corporations, not sure.

sheaday6 · 05-07-2003, 11:03 PM

are you sure, because abondonware games are all legal because the copyrights ran out, and there aren't many games made in 1953

**Skinkie** · 05-07-2003, 11:58 PM

Not sure at all really. In government class we learned about copyrights a couple months ago and that what it said, but it seemed to be aimed more towards literature so the laws may differ.

**Huz** · 05-08-2003, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sheaday6
are you sure, because abondonware games are all legal because the copyrights ran out, and there aren't many games made in 1953

Abandonware is just software that nobody wants to exploit commercially any more (true abandonware, at least). It is still covered by copyright.

scabb · 05-08-2003, 08:21 AM

Yeah, Skinkie is correct. It's 50 years after the authors first death (or, if the works are published after his/her death, 50 years after publication), and that goes for anything. That's the UK law anyway, I read about it in THE BIG BOOK OF LAW or something along the lines of, I don't know how it would work internationally. Even so, with things like games, many people have contributed towards their making, and the copyright is owned by Lucas Arts in this case, so who knows.

And yeah, Abandonware's only abandonware if the company who owns the rights to it lets you have it for free, and even then there's probably a fine line. For instance, Rockstar have released GTA for free, and Revolution have done the same for Lure of the Temptress.

Maybe when the company completely dies too? Who owns the copyrights then?

Oystein · 05-08-2003, 03:14 PM

I guess if we just go and put a bullet in Roberta Williams' head, then we can all enjoy free Leisure Suit Larry games. Yay!

Alien426 · 05-09-2003, 03:21 AM

Wouldn't that be Al Lowe for LSL and Roberta for King's Quest etc.?

Oystein · 05-09-2003, 04:53 AM

That's probably more correct, but isn't Roberta the founder of Sierra, so all Sierra titles should be free if something terrible happened to her?

Alien426 · 05-09-2003, 05:11 AM

I guess the rights would belong to the mother company of Sierra (whoever that may be at the moment, it was sold several times). That's also for the sake of probable (although not likely) future adventure games that Mrs. Williams could produce.

Oystein, you are evil!

Oystein · 05-09-2003, 05:48 PM

Hehe

I could turn the Game Developer's Conference into living hell!