Hi all:
I remember a long time ago there was a free star trek game for amiga.
Is it legal for me to make a new star trek game if it is free/PD ?
The game wasn't free. I certainly bought mine from a shop. PD Houses generally charged for their disks. Came on two disks... STGame and STData. By von Tobias J Richter who also created a shed load of very cool Star Trek animations which are also available on PD Disks. Interestingly disk one states that the game was created by AGAtron.. Amiga Graphics and Animations though also refers to another name Unique Computing Angus Bell. The second disk STData has German text referring to yet another name and a PDHouse and disk reference.
The disk also carries a Richter animation and pictures of NCC-1701-A Enterprise which has a maximum speed of WARP 12.
The documentation was produced on 11th August 1989. The game appears to have German origin.
I doubt very much that the game could have been produced without referring to the franchise and company owner that held the copyright. Star Trek will hold a worldwide right over the use of its name and I am sure that in these days of internet factoring there are paid representatives tracking all activity of brand names. The risk is not only whether a product can benefit from the brand but whether also it can damage. So I am guessing even folk that display images of product on their websites are at risk of being served.
By the way... STAR TREK The Game on just two disks is very good and most enjoyable. I have also Star Trek the 25th Anniversary game and I still prefer the PD game. Truly amazing given the two disks it comes on. I have the plastic sleeved version of the PDGame which I purchased from my local Amiga store back in 1994.
The simple solution is to write to the company that holds the copyright.