Is This Site Illegal?

[Red Door]

I found a site called <snip>. You can download all games for free, including both Civ 1 and Civ 2. I was wondering if this is pirating or is this an actual law? Can you really DL something for free if copyright runs out?
Here's the Page with Civ 1 and 2:
Moderator Action: Links removed

 

[Sophie 378]

I think abandonware is legal...not sure. But I really don't think Civ is abandonware!

 

[The Last Conformist]

That's an illegal site, since neither Civ nor CivII is abandonware.

 

[Red Door]

Okay good. That's what I thought. I didnt DL either because of my respect for the series.

 

[Fox Mccloud]

It's probably illegal, although I really want to download Civ2.....

 

[ComradeDavo]

As it is illegal, you should remove those links.

 

[stormbind]

Distribution of any material is perfectly legal if you have permission!

The issue with true Abandonware, is that acquiring such permission is no longer possible - i.e. the copyright owner no longer exists!

The onus is on copyright owners (or licensed distributors) to explicitly disclose their intentions, and sometimes an educated guess as to the validity of fair use is made.

 

[ainwood]

Moderator Action: Links removed, moved to computer talk forum.

Yes, abandonware is illegal - no matter waht these sites (there are others, too) may say. Left open in case people want to discuss abandonware, but please:

DO NOT POST LINKS TO ABANDONWARE SITES!

 

[Fox Mccloud]

The Faq says it's legal, but I doubt this....

Q: What is Abandonware? Is it legal?
A: Wikipedia: "Abandonware is computer software which is no longer being sold or supported by its copyright holder. Alternately, the term is also used for software which is still available, but on which further support and development has been deliberately discontinued." Since the software is no longer sold or supported, the copyright holders are not directly harmed in any way. This is why abandonware sites are, for the most part, ignored by the law. The distribution of copyrighted software however is, and will allways be, illegal!

 

[Ginger_Ale]

Guess what: Civ2 and Civ1 are still being sold.

 

[Red Door]

Sorry for posting the links. I just wanted to know if it was legal.

 

[Maniacal]

So, if I were to get a dos game from 1995 from an abandone ware site, it would be illegal even if the company is gone?

*raises jolly rodger*

Well, in 20 years they won't work even on dosbox anyways I bet.

 

[CruddyLeper]

Correct, because copyright continues on AFTER an individual is deceased, be they a person or a company.

20 years, I believe. THEN it might be legal. Might not if there's a trademark involved.

 

[WildWeazel]

It's 50 years for printed material, so it may be the same for electronic material. Of course no program would be of much use 50 years after its release.

 

[Padma]

The premise is true that youcan download anything legally, once the copyright has expired. The problem is nothing copyrighted since the 1930s has expired ...

(copyright law keeps changing - increasing the time until expiration, and grandfathering existing copyrights.)

 

[Sophie 378]

What about if you bought the game when it was on 5.5" floppies, and now only have working computers with CD rom drives and the internet for getting the games on? There are SO many old games we bought and used to play but the only computers that would play them don't work any more!

 

[Dabomb18359]

Lots of those old games are bad anyways. Not to say Civ and Civ II since I've honestly never played them, but going after emulators and stuff just isn't that much fun because like Halo will take years to emulate. ANd by that time there will be a Halo IV and XBox 720.

 

[Kozmos]

Civ2 was the best all hail the King!!!

 

[Joeb WK]

Abandonware always struck me as one of those illegal things that are illegal in name only and are not really enforced. I mean no ones exactly going to hang you for downloading a twenty year old game thats no longer sold and theres no victims from the crime.

 

[Padma]

The copyright holder is the victim. And if he is made aware of the situation, he may sue the abandonware site. (It has been done.)

If a copyright holder doesn't *mind* having his products distributed by these sites, he needs to send them a notice *explicitly* granting them permission to do this, or even releasing the game into the Public Domain.