Is there a copy protection preservation policy in ScummVM?

[bobdevis]

I noticed that in some games the question-answer-like DRM is removed or sabotaged in ScummVM, like in the Monkey Island 1 and 2.
In other games it is still there and can cause issues when people run the game on some device without a full keyboard. Questions about this seem regular on the platform-specific boards.

I was curious if there is any kind of policy on this, or is it just whatever-the-porter-decides?

[eriktorbjorn]

I was curious if there is any kind of policy on this, or is it just whatever-the-porter-decides?

It's described in the ScummVM README, actually. Basically, ScummVM bypasses the copy protection in two cases:

1) The game was re-released with the copy protection disabled and/or without the necessary information to get past the copy protection. As long as the copy protection was bypassed by the original interpreter, not the data files, ScummVM can't tell the difference between the releases, so it has to bypass it.

2) The copyright holders have said it's ok to bypass (or simply just not implement) it.

(Every time I play Future Wars, I wish there was a "3) When the copy protection is really, really, really annoying.", but there isn't.)

In some cases, you can re-enable the copy protection with the --copy-protection command-line option.

[Freddo]

(Every time I play Future Wars, I wish there was a "3) When the copy protection is really, really, really annoying.", but there isn't.)

Heh, me too.

Or sometimes I wish for a "4) When using ScummVM on the mobile phone and isn't anywhere near the copy protection papers."

[clone2727]

(Every time I play Future Wars, I wish there was a "3) When the copy protection is really, really, really annoying.", but there isn't.)

While annoying and tedious, I still haven't been stopped by the protection yet and I have always gotten it on the first shot. Maybe it's because I've made a blown up image of it... Or, because I've played it about twice

[bobdevis]

It's described in the ScummVM README, actually.

How silly of me, sorry.

I was just fishing for ideas of you guys might get rid of all those issues on no-keyboard devises.
I guess you already thought it though and need to cover your butts, legally speaking.

[Robot_Maker20]

It'd really suck for anyone who tried to add Space Quest 5 without DRM - the copy protection is actually integrated into the gameplay throughout and you have to enter a code from the manual every single time you want to travel anywhere (The VGA remake of SQ1 also does this, but not to nearly the same, ridiculous extent), and there's also a puzzle/plot element built in that involves finding a code that isn't in the manual, which would make removing, disabling or replacing the system even more complicated. The craziest thing, though, is that by the standards of most manual-page copy protection schemes, the actual codes in SQ5 are laughably easy to reproduce, which makes a joke of the whole thing - you could copy them by hand in five minutes, so why wouldn't a bootlegger bother to do that once and run off a bunch of photocopies or text files? If you actually set out with the deliberate intention of maximally frustrating genuine customers without additionally inconveniencing pirates at all, you couldn't do better than this.

Fortunately (for the programmers, not the users, that is) SQ5 was never released without protection and permission has not, to my knowledge, been given to remove it, so this scenario will likely never arise.

[bobdevis]

If you actually set out with the deliberate intention of maximally frustrating genuine customers without additionally inconveniencing pirates at all, you couldn't do better than this.

Ooh, if only that were true!

There has been DRM on audio CD's that permanently(!) broke some CD-ROM drives. The first track was a data track that a dumb stand alone player would skip, but it deliberately confused the firmware of CD-ROM drives.
There had been DRM that undermined the security of the OS making it easier for third parties to install mallware. (Wikipedia: Sony BMG CD copy protection scandal)

I'd much much rather deal with some lame manual page then with that!

[noize]

As for Future Wars, the Sony CD release doesn't have the copy protection enabled, so rule no. 1 could be applied for this game.

[clone2727]

As for Future Wars, the Sony CD release doesn't have the copy protection enabled, so rule no. 1 could be applied for this game.

No. ScummVM can tell the difference between the floppy and CD releases.

As long as the copy protection was bypassed by the original interpreter, not the data files, ScummVM can't tell the difference between the releases, so it has to bypass it.

[marzipan]

Is the reasoning behind maintaining the copy protection functions in some games mostly for legal or accuracy reasons?

What if there's a case where the developer and/or publisher no longer exists and/or the rights to the title are completely in limbo? (I can't remember if I asked this before actually.)

Examples: who exactly owns the rights to Delphine's IP, if at all, nowadays? Do Activision Blizzard really own Sierra's IP or not? (I don't know if they sold off Sierra, and they pretty much abandoned every IP other than Crash, Spyro and a few others, and Sierra.com redirects to Activision.com, etc etc etc....)

[eriktorbjorn]

Is the reasoning behind maintaining the copy protection functions in some games mostly for legal or accuracy reasons?

I assumed it was legal reasons.

Examples: who exactly owns the rights to Delphine's IP, if at all, nowadays? Do Activision Blizzard really own Sierra's IP or not? (I don't know if they sold off Sierra, and they pretty much abandoned every IP other than Crash, Spyro and a few others, and Sierra.com redirects to Activision.com, etc etc etc....)

I don't know about Delphine. Some of the Sierra games were re-released fairly recently (2.5 years ago?) so I guess someone remembers them.

[marzipan]

Is the reasoning behind maintaining the copy protection functions in some games mostly for legal or accuracy reasons?

I assumed it was legal reasons.

I thought so. Still, it's kind of weird to, say, deprotect MI1 VGA but not MI1 EGA because of a "that version didn't kill the protection, so we won't either" policy. Especially as the readme states that Inherit The Earth's protection was disabled in all versions, and I now quote, "since it was bypassed in all CD versions of the game". (And sure, I acknowledge you sorted it out with Wyrmkeep beforehand, and I'm going to assume that someone did try and ask LucasArts about deprotecting all their versions, only to get no response? I mean that company seem so messed up and fragmented nowadays compared to other companies who really support you.)

Examples: who exactly owns the rights to Delphine's IP, if at all, nowadays? Do Activision Blizzard really own Sierra's IP or not? (I don't know if they sold off Sierra, and they pretty much abandoned every IP other than Crash, Spyro and a few others, and Sierra.com redirects to Activision.com, etc etc etc....)

I don't know about Delphine. Some of the Sierra games were re-released fairly recently (2.5 years ago?) so I guess someone remembers them.

Well, the compilations were released while Sierra were still around one way or another (even if as another hollow brand name for Vivendi =P), but with the whole shuffling around with Activision and Blizzard last year and the annihilation of even the brand name by the looks of it, I'm not even sure what's going on nowadays.

[eriktorbjorn]

and I'm going to assume that someone did try and ask LucasArts about deprotecting all their versions, only to get no response?

I don't think anyone has asked them. They know about us, because they sent a cease-and-desist letter back in 2002, but they've never been supportive or helpful. I'm guessing everyone just thought it better not to draw their attention again. (Actually, that may be one of the reasons for the copy protection policy.)