Rich Mellor wrote: > Hosting old software is more problematic than parking on a double yellow > line (sorry not sure what the equivalent is in Germany).
Tell that to e.g. http://www.homeoftheunderdogs.net/ They've been in the business of hosting abandonware for 18 years and running. > As I have said in posts elsewhere, if someone wants to take the risk and > set up a repository, that is fine, but I will not be a part of illegal > file sharing (which is what it amounts to) and cannot take the risk of > losing my websites and being prosecuted for breach of international > copyright. I can totally understand that and nobody says you must do so. But if anybody does do so, like the Spanish site, then this is fine with me. > More the issue is the reaction of people when a copyright contacts them > to have software withdrawn - to date, I have been attacked because it > must be my fault for asking for the software to be taken down. I would never attack you, but I can understand that people are not happy about it. And if this was software you had written to begin with I would be totally on your side. But it's only software other people have written a long time ago and I have already explained what I think about this, so I won't write it again. > Could I ask what your approach would be if you found (before QPC2 was > made freeware), sites who just offer free downloads of QPC2, QPCPrint > etc? Would you have been happy and let them do it whilst you were > continuing to sell the programs yourself? Don't muddle the issue. We're strictly talking about software here that was written a long time ago and which the original authors have long lost interest in. I still support QPC2 EVEN though I made it free. > Unfortunately yes - as has been shown by someone reporting illegal file > sharing to the hosting company of one of the sites concerned.... Yes, someone. I really wonder who that was... >> The thing hit the fan when somebody send take-down notices to a site >> that has actually put copies for everybody to use on the internet. So >> we're left with less copies than there were before. > But the software was mainly software which could readily still be > purchased online from myself and Jochen. For example? I only see 3 QL software products left on Jochen's page to purchase, which is QMENU, Lonely Joker and QD (last updated 13 years ago! With my help even). And yes, I think at least QD and QMENU should now be free, too. > Rather than concentrating on trying to increase the range of free QL > software available, it tends to be the same 10 titles or so which were > published by a similar site in 2014 (and subsequently removed at the > request of the copyright holders). Who are those mysterious copyright holders? The last request at the Spanish site was apparently anonymous. How can an anonymous person claim copyright to anything? I can't imagine Jochen sending out any take down orders either. > Unfortunately, in the 9 years since I decided off my own back to set up > the QL Wiki and start preserving what QL software I could, the number of > people who have shown willing to help take the project any further > forward can be counted on one hand. Once again, I appreciate any work you have done. I also have contributed to the Wiki a bit, but I was far too young back then so I don't really know most of the titles listed. And will probably never know them because they have either been taken down or are just available "commercially". But ok, I will try to exert what little influence I have left to get a few more titles released. > If you want to go some other way and do file sharing of copyright > material, then unfortunately, I will not be part of this. Once again, I won't and nobody expects you to do so. But if somebody wants to host abandonware, more power to them in my eyes. Marcel _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List
