Resource centre for ZX Spectrum games
      using Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy game engines

 

 

	Previous message		Next message
	Previous in thread		Next in thread

 

 

Message: 4272

Author: john_elliott_uk

Date: 03/06/2004

Subject: Re: Retro Gamer #4 (The MegaTree) / Copyright

 

In manicminerandjetsetwilly@yahoogroups.com, andrewbroad wrote:

However, putting these data on the cover-disk would raise thorny
copyright-issues, as "the copyrights in regard to anything on these
disks remain with their legal owners", not with Retro Gamer, who
would presumably have to seek permission from/through Stuart
Fotheringham to do such.

Of course, the same applies to putting nearly any Spectrum game on a
coverdisc, and I've seen that done before now. I imagine it depends
on whether the publishers think they can get away with it.
For that matter, if we distribute games based on JSW it's because we
think that we can get away with it.

I would not allow my Broadsoft software to be sold for money, not
even if I were offered a 100% share of the profits (though I am
perfectly happy for my software to be freely distributed, or reused
in other free software, provided that I am credited in the
accompanying documentation as appropriate). The Spectrum-emulation
scene thrives on a free-software culture.

Free as in beer, or as in freedom?

If one of my games were included on a cover-disk of a magazine sold
for money, I would be absolutely livid.

Interesting. I released JSWED2 under the GPL, so there's nothing to
stop people putting that on magazine coverdiscs. Indeed, I believe it
has been. That probably means that I can't use any code from your JSW
utilities in JSWED2.
Obviously, the licence to use for a purely functional program (like
JSWED2) isn't appropriate for a creative work like a set of JSW
levels. So don't take my post as an exhortation to change to the GPL;
that certainly wouldn't work for JSW games!

 

 

	Previous message	Back to the Yahoo! Archive home page	Next message
	Previous in thread		Next in thread