What is Digg?57 Comments
- romsel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+26
2. Computer programs and video games distributed in formats that have become obsolete and that require the original media or hardware as a condition of access, when circumvention is accomplished for the purpose of preservation or archival reproduction of published digital works by a library or archive. A format shall be considered obsolete if the machine or system necessary to render perceptible a work stored in that format is no longer manufactured or is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace.
Source : http://www.copyright.gov/1201/ - AgentEntropy, on 10/12/2007, -5/+24No, it's not... Did you even RTFA?
- fauxXenophanes, on 10/12/2007, -1/+19Excellent! All EA software can legally be cracked, since they in no way support it after purchase.
- Dunadan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15Does this mean it won't be so ridiculously hard to find a copy of "Lemmings?"
- carebearwarrior, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15Very nice. Very nice.
For instance, judging from what I've read, ROMS could be legal, correct? - useful, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13So I can pretty much play any EA game, right?
- malkir, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12considering they are obsolete the moment they are released I would say...Yes!
My question is...why would you want to? - Ninjab3ar, on 10/12/2007, -8/+20um uh, digg double posted me, so, uh, now i have to uh come up with something uh clever to say, uh, um, uh, damn...... i got nothing.
- theotherme, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12@Ninjab3ar
The Democrats aren't in congress yet. They get sworn in next year. - steelmaverick, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11What does this mean for old versions of windows?
- RobertBogley, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Let me just throw this one in.
Windows 98 is abandonware because its not supported or sold anymore.
Does this mean that its legal to crack windows 98 in the state(s) this law was passed?
If so, this has serious repercussions for software companies who stop supporting earlier versions of their software (because all customers have moved on), but in which the licencing model (licencing validation software) is still similar in current versions to earlier versions.
Just for discussion... - mooninite, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Except that Nintendo is offering its games on Virtual Console. They are offering the same games on new media, so this law wouldn't allow you to play Super Mario legally, IMO.
- dilbertmouse, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9First off, thank you.
Secondly, TFA says "when circumvention is accomplished...by a library or archive". Does this mean a public library, non-profit organization, or someone recognized to do such things must crack and store the software? This certainly doesn't seem to indicate the college student looking for a Lemming all-nighter. - Anpheus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8To preserve the media, yes.
To play, that is more ambiguous until a lawyer comments on this. - Rikkochet, on 10/12/2007, -6/+13Falling down a flight of stairs was funnier than that. Your wish is my command, red button for you.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+12TFA? Did he even RTFT?
- Ninjab3ar, on 10/12/2007, -12/+18i guess the new democrats that came into congress were all 1337 h4x0rz
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+51 up for gamers!
- DiggLurker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Some copyright holders think that getting the same song on a new media is a different product and must be purchased. In that case, the original media containing super mario is not the same as the current offering. The original has been abandoned.
- fac3less, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Woo!
This is very nice.
I'm glad to finally see some well thought laws come into play. - GiggleStick, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4steelmaverick makes an excellent point. If WinXP is End-of-lifed, it's no longer supported, so it wouldn't be illegal to crack it I guess. Is that only for copying it, though, or for executing it as well.
- RandomSkratch, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5@AgentEntropy
Umm although the 2 articles are different and separate, they are in fact, both related. (Hence the DMCA)
So maybe you should perhaps read a bit more than just TFA before going off insulting people. - mindlessxd, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4http://it.travisbsd.org/lemmings/lemmings.php
:P - ricree, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@GiggleStick
The hardware needs to be unsupported and unsold, not the software. Since modern PC's can run XP, this doesn't apply.
Edit:
Well, not the hardware exactly, however, in the case of an operating system, the PC hardware is the only definition of system I can think of. In the case of other sorts of software, I can see that there would be other factors involved such as the operating system it runs on, etc. - badken, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4"Other rulings involved the rights of consumers to crack cell phone software locks for use on other carriers, the rights of educators to make compilations of DVD scenes, and the rights of blind people to use third-party software in order to read copy-protected electronic books. These rulings come as clarifications of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All new rules take effect on Monday and last for three years."
- regeya, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Other than the reg key, why would you need to "crack" '98? AFAIK it doesn't even "phone home," so there'd be no need to crack.
- finalbroadcast, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Any of you out there in the legal profession? If you are tell me would this protect fan translations?
- rowanjl, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Not quite, faux, because they're still releasing it.
- Muncher, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2So... how many games considered "abandonware" have copy protection?
- inactive, on 12/29/2008, -0/+1That's why I've stuck with Windows 2000.
- inactive, on 12/30/2008, -0/+1"your doing it to save a copy"
What? - Atomic1fire, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2no unless your doing it to save a copy for historical purposes (ie a library or museum)
- swizzley, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1While this law is a great step in the right direction it really doesn't apply to any of us. So everyone asking if roms are now legal, and they can download and play old games needs to stop and actually read this.
1. "by a library or archive"
Unless you are a library or archive this exception does not apply
2. "A format shall be considered obsolete if the machine or system necessary to render perceptible a work in that format is no longer manufactured or is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace."
The exception only comes to play if the hardware required to read the media is no longer manufactured/available. So we are looking at software created for 5.25 disks and earlier. Software created for game systems Atari, Nintendo, etc. would not be covered because those systems are still available in mass through the commercial marketplace.
3. "and that require the original media or hardware as a condition of access"
Needs to be software that requires the disk to use it..
There is nothing here about being able to copy software if the publisher/developer no longer supports it. - malkir, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3To bad they haven't actually gotten rid of the anti-circumvention rule.
1. It doesn't stop people that are going to pirate anyway.
2. It hurts people that just want their fair use rights. - inactive, on 12/29/2008, -0/+1It doesn't have copy protection.
It requires a serial(still illegal if you don't have a legit one).
RTFA... it pertains to media requirements. That means needing to have the media(floppy or CD) in the computer at the time of playing it. No version of Windows requires the media while operating normally.
This, 'right to crack copy protection' refers to a 'no CD' crack. - Dunadan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Thanks mindlessxd, I've been looking forever! How did you manage to find that page?
- inactive, on 12/30/2008, -0/+1Yes, because only lawyers can read.
- inactive, on 12/29/2008, -0/+1A lot. It's a pretty old idea that dates back to the days of floppies.
- inactive, on 12/29/2008, -0/+1No.
As long as you don't sell the fan translation there's very little to worry about. - malkir, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Nicely done, throw out a statement saying an argument is wrong, and then do absolutely nothing to actually argue the point. I'd say that's textbook idiocy.
- juliocgrajales, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1okay this really does nothing, what the companies will do now, the smart ones that is will introduce all there old games in easily accessible internet via roms, or other things... so they can argue that they are actually still selling it, when in reality nobody might be buying... there is always a loop hole people... let me know if i am making any sense
- BenBenMan, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Great, now where's my debugger?!
- radio1mike, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Muncher,
A lot of Atari Computer, Early PC games, Amiga and C64 games would be great to play again. No more codewheels! - KB1775, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0The rights of consumers to crack the software on their cellphones to be used with other carriers. Holy (explitaive) this could drastically change the cell phone industry. I cant imagine its that difficult to crack this software considering some of the other amazing things people are doing these days with computers I always knew the guy in the cell phone store was lying when he told me my old phone wouldnt work anymore. What does this mean for companies like Samsung and Motorolla, who make huge deals with carriers like Verizon and Cingular to only supply certain phones to certain providers? The implications of this are huge. How are carriers going to combat this now that it is legal, I guess they should have lobbied harder huh?
- NiroZ, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Finally, I can play Secret of Monkey Island 2 legally!
- Aliarse, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1While its nice this law was passed, do they really think people was not cracking abandonware before this?.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3W-W-W-Wait!! All VC games on Wii are being distributed still! Doom II and other classics on XBL Arcade are still distributed, so refrain from going into a ROM downloading frenzy!
- Atomic1fire, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2read the freaking article
- JeremyTTU, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1@RandomSkratch:
Thanks for the assist! - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0The problem is that 90% of the games/programs that are on abandonware sitrs are NOT abandonware.
These sites seem to think that becuase htey haven't seen the game in a long time it must be abandonware. -
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