A List Of ScummVM Games

[DrMcCoy]

I was saying that there ARE games released to be allowed to be download with the, "all clear to do so", and there are sites putting up these games, they are not warez or torrents.

These games are not "abandonware". These games are "freeware" and their number are quite low.

The vast majority of games on sites with "abandonware" are not cleared by the copyright holders as "freeware" but simple but up there by the site maintainers without any say be the copyright holder whatsoever, i.e. they are, for all intends and purposes, pirated. That the original copyright holder does not protest doesn't change that.

As long as there's no active declaration by the copyright holder that the game is freeware, the game is not. Copyright does not expire after a few years -- on the contrary, it currently lasts for 70 years and, thanks to Disney and the thread that Mickey Mouse might fall into public domain, will probably expanded again soon.

"Abandonware" does not exist. Either a game is "freeware", with the copyright holder actively and legally saying so, or it is not. In which case, they are warez. Period.

[Longcat]

I am sorry, I meant no disrespect:)

But what I stated above is my opinion and the general opinion of the ScummVM community if I may take the liberty to say so.
The sites who proclaim that the games have been released by their rights holders are usually lying, and at the very least there should be a document released alongside these games supplied by the original owners which states that they have freewared them.

If there are games out there which have indeed been freewared, the people here are more than happy to be notified about them. However, the project does not wish to be affiliated with sites who supplied pirated warez in any shape or form. And the developers of ScummVM are very aware of which games they add support for have been freewared and not;)

edit; sorry DrMcCoy, didn't see your post, but I guess we said pretty much the same thing:)

Hope that makes more sense.

[clem]

To add a bit to this thread, there's also a Copyright FAQ on the wiki - anyone with wiki editing privileges feel free to add/extend the information there.

There's this bit which attempts to give another reason why abandonware discussions are discouraged here:

Providing support for obviously "warezed" versions of games could create the impression that ScummVM promotes copyright violations. Needless to say, this is not in the interest of the ScummVM developers. Game companies often keep a close eye on projects which are re-implementing their game engines; any negative connotation makes it more likely for a project to be shut down.

[thenodfather]

I stand corrected. I am now wiser than before I signed up to the site.
Thank you Doctor and Jonatan, I will know better in future.


Subject closed.