From: a644690c@edinboro.edu ("Adam J. Conover")
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Perspectives on Piracy (My Error??).
Date: 30 Jul 92 13:42:10 GMT

> Adam, 
> 
> I follow your point about buyig an original from a friend, but I don't
> condone cpying commercial programs, even if the company "isn't around
> anymore."  If the company had folded, the softwar reverts back to the
> author.  A lot of comapnies that aren't in the Atari market anymore are
> still around.  The best thing, would be to get the company to release
> the old commercial game into the public domain.  If a company isn't
> around (ie alive), we should tr to get ahold of the author, andsee if 
> he/she will release the program into the PD.  Who knows who wrote 
> Paperclip, for example?  Wouldn't it be nice to get software out into
> the public domain, and maybe if we get lucky, source code could come with
> it, for someone like Bob Puff to make an update.
> 
> That's the solution, not piracy.
> 
>                 Pattie Rayl (Atari Interface)

You make an interesting point about the actual ownership of software.  I
have always been under the impression that work done for hire or contract
becomes the legal property of the contractor or company involved.  Similar
to the early Atari days where Programmers were not even allowed to include
their names in there works.  If the law does indeed state that the copyright
falls back to the programmer if a company collapses, then my opinion
certainly changes in that respect.  Software Piracy IS theft, I admit... and 
we, as responsible Atari owners, should make every effort to own 'legal' copies
of all our software.  But... at what expense?  How much time and money would
have to be spent to reach the proper individuals?  And how many of those people
have already relinquished there copyright?  I have seen many old games on
legitimate BBSs where the author evidently gave up the copyright.  Who
do we contact to find out if these copyrights are still valid?  Then there is
a question about companies that are still around that no longer support the 
8bit stuff (ICD for example): What are we supposed to do when a company simply
just sits on a copyright?  (IMHO- ICD made some of the finest stuff available!)

[Just A thought:  ICD wants to sell the rights to a lot of there 8bit stuff.
No one (or company) wants to invest in an 'obsolete' platform.  Would it be 
possible for 'the 8bit community' to purchase the rights to this Software??
We could take up some sort of collection, buy the rights, and release it
into PD.  This approach could work with a lot of old software.  If enough
money can not be raised by a group, then that should just show the company that
their product is indeed 'obsolete' and they should take what they get.  Anyway,
Is this a real solution???]

Granted, getting all the great old titles released into the Public Domain
would be fantastic, but how realistic is that?  I doubt many companies would
be willing to simply 'Give up' there rights to a package.  And, as I said,
tracking down those old authors may be an impossibility.  Legality is NOT
morality... they rarely mesh.  These kind of decisions must ultimately rest
with the individual, and we must just use some common sense.

-Adam Conover.
	a644690c@edinboro.edu

Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit