13 Dec
2005
13 Dec
'05
7:05 p.m.
On 12/13/2005 at 10:18 AM Eric J Korpela wrote:
In many cases for old software, the owner cannot be
located. In many
other
cases (such as bankrupt companies), the owner can't
be identified.
...and on some "abandonware" web sites that I can point you to, the poster
knows darned well that the owner is still around and reachable via a simple
email and doesn't ask because he (or she) knows what the answer will be.
That's what makes my blood boil. And what the heck, if the web site's in
Belgium and the owner's here in the US, what do they have to fear?
If you're going to toss copyrighted software around, do your best to locate
the owner (Google is a wonderful tool) and then ASK. If the owner refuses,
respect his/her/its/their wishes.
So, if you want to toss around MS-DOS 3.3, why not drop a note to Microsoft
for permission? If they say "no", you don't do it.
If you don't like the current state of copyright law, talk to your
Congressional representatives as I have.
I'm in favor of a 14-14 year period comparable to patent law, where
copyrights must be explicitly renewed for a fee. After 28 years, it's
available for anyone's use.
Here's a quiz--how much do you think the old song "Happy Birthday to You"
is worth? Bet you thought it was PD.
http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/birthday.asp
Cheers,
Chuck