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to have software withdrawn - to date, I have been attacked because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
