Hi, Maybe a good idea would to summarise the spreadsheet, so that everyone knows the position.
DerekOn 6 Jul 2016 11:35, Dilwyn Jones wrote: > > Hi Marcel, > > This is the argument for Abandonware. Yet our copyright laws in the UK > (whatever individual opinions might be) are clear enough as to what we can > and can't do, and our chances of being prosecuted are high enough. Rich > trained as a solicitor, he should know. > > Once contact has been made with authors/copyright holders, Rich generally > passes on software to me to make public unless the author forbids it - the > ones that get published are the choice of the copyright holder. By and > large, you don't hear of just how many QL programs Rich has secured > permission to pass on to me to make available, many times what few he > re-publishes. But people rarely credit him for that side of his work. > > You did the decent thing and chose the make your software freely available > and full credit to you for that. Most of the software I've written has also > become free, it all will sooner or later as I get time. > > The whole preservation thing has revolved around trying to keep copies of as > many QL softwares as possible ready for the day when the authors take the > same attitude as you (it can't be released unless there are copies - most of > the authors Rich managed to contact had no copies of their own software to > offer us). If the authors persist in trying to keep programs commercial, > however futile it might seem, that's their right I suppose, but without the > huge effort people like Rich have put in there would be no copies of the > software to make available anyway. > > Your email is understandably aimed at authors. Please bear in mind the rough > treatment Rich Mellor has had from some quarters for nothing more than > trying to keep some form of QL trading going. I presume that things like > keyboard membranes might not be available were it not for the little profits > Rich makes from his commercial activities. > > Dilwyn Jones > > -----Original Message----- > From: Marcel Kilgus > Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2016 11:02 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Withdrawal of my personal Software > PreservationProject > > Rich Mellor wrote: > > I shall however, not get involved in software piracy. > > Really no disrespect to you or your work. But, as a creator of > software and probably of the most commercially successful QL software > of the last 15 years, I find this whole piracy debate in the QL scene > pretty laughable. This is mostly software that hasn't been touched, > supported or updated in 30 years. Why would anybody care what happens > to it? The decent thing to do for the authors is making the stuff > freely available (sans copy protection if possible) once you're > leaving for greener pastures. That's what I do with my stuff. > > The creators have abandoned the software, so what's the harm in > having it freely available? Who in their right mind would actually go > to court over some MDV image of software they haven't tou ched in 30 > years? > > So far I've kept quiet in the debate out of respect for you and your > work. But all this is against my common sense. I can't imagine that > this whole commercial re-releasing of ancient software is in any way > worth it. It's a bit of a shame, too, I would like to try some of the > old QL games, sure, but I would never spend a single cent on them, > ever. I would probably only play them a few minutes each, just for the > fun of it, and that's that then. And I guess I'm not alone in this > respect. > > The QL is dying (dead?) and keeping stuff commercial is not really > helping in this respect. I released EasyPtr for free recently because > I was asked how one could obtain a copy and I found it really too > embarrassing to still ask for any money for this old stuff. > > Marcel > > > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2016.0.7640 / Virus Database: 4627/12565 - Release Date: 07/05/16 > > _________________ ______________________________ > QL-Users Mailing List _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List
