[Coco] HWGA (was) Coco games copyright

[Ben Jimenez]

Hi,

well that more then answers my question. I am think about cloning some games. I guess I should try to contact the authors once I determine which one(s) I want to port over to a mobile platform.




--- On Wed, 2/11/09, Joel Ewy <jcewy at swbell.net> wrote:

> From: Joel Ewy <jcewy at swbell.net>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] HWGA (was)  Coco games copyright
> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 1:01 PM
> James Hrubik wrote:
> > Why am I waiting with bated breath, holding my finger
> over the DELETE
> > key...
> >
> > Maybe each newbie should get an email from Dennis with
> something to
> > the effect that discussions of religion, politics, and
> copyrights
> > should be avoided because they are equally likely to
> start flame wars.
> >
> > (Sorry, Joel.  I know you just wanted to help the guy,
> but I can't
> > help thinking you were just trolled.)
> >
> Maybe so.  But I've now said all I have to say on the
> matter, and I
> won't respond to insults or taunts.  Nothing anybody
> can say to me on
> this list can be worse than things I've been told in
> person.
> 
> JCE
> > On Feb 11, 2009, at Wednesday, February 11, 2009 -
> 1:51 PM, Joel Ewy
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Ben Jimenez wrote:
> >>> Hello,
> >>>
> >>> I was thinking of converting some Coco games
> over to a new platform,
> >>> but was wondering what the copyright was on
> them now?
> >>>
> >>> -- 
> >>> Coco mailing list
> >>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> >>> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> >>>
> >>>
> >> Copyright is forever.  Well, not quite forever. 
> It's the life of the
> >> author plus 70 years plus the amount of time since
> Walt Disney died, or
> >> something like that.
> >>
> >> Seriously, it isn't like patents, which expire
> in 17 years.
> >>
> >> There are a number of authors of CoCo games who
> have given permission
> >> for their programs to be distributed for free,
> often with certain
> >> restrictions, such as "you may not charge for
> a copy", etc.  This does
> >> not mean that they have renounced their copyright
> and put the programs
> >> in the public domain, only that they are using
> their copyright to
> >> specify the terms under which their works can be
> copied.
> >>
> >> L. Curtis Boyle has received permission to make
> some of these games
> >> available for download from his web site, and has
> documented the
> >> permissions he has.  Since these authors have
> given some enhanced
> >> permissions for their works, they might be
> amenable to discussing a
> >> port.  You'd just have to get in touch with
> them and see.
> >>
> >> Of course, if you're just talking about
> writing your own clone of their
> >> original game, you don't need to get any
> permission or worry about
> >> copyright, unless you directly copy stuff from the
> game, or use
> >> trademarked names and so on.
> >>
> >> Now since these things are pretty old, and many of
> the old authors
> >> aren't involved with the CoCo anymore, you
> might get away with just
> >> appropriating it, but of course you'd be doing
> so at the risk that they
> >> would take notice and threaten a lawsuit.  How
> likely that would be
> >> would probably depend on how you use it.  If you
> are trying to sell
> >> copies of a game that blatantly steals their
> copyrighted materials, they
> >> would probably be more likely to take offense, or
> take action.  If you
> >> do it for fun and give it away for free, and
> position it as a fan paying
> >> tribute to a great game of the past, they may not
> care, and might even
> >> feel honored that their old work has been
> remembered.  On the other
> >> hand, they might still be perfectly within their
> rights to sue you.  Do
> >> so at your own risk.
> >>
> >> One other factor is that for most of these
> programs there's no economic
> >> benefit to be gained from suing you.  It's not
> as if you're depriving
> >> them of any significant potential income from
> these 20+ years old
> >> programs.  But for some people it may be a matter
> of principle.
> >>
> >> Now, there may be some CoCo games out there that
> are really Open Source,
> >> or something approximating that.  Those you should
> be able to port more
> >> freely.  But for those that aren't you are
> either going to have to
> >> disassemble them or contact the original author
> and see if the source
> >> code is still around.
> >>
> >> JCE
> >>
> >>
> >> -- 
> >> Coco mailing list
> >> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> >> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> >
> >
> > -- 
> > Coco mailing list
> > Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> >
> 
> 
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