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Author Topic: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak  (Read 8130 times)

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Offline kollaTopic starter

Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« on: December 29, 2015, 04:23:40 PM »
So it appears that the sources for Amiga OS 3.1 have been leaked to the public, and an archive is circulating around on social media, torrents and file servers all over the place.

Potentially anyone can now have a look at them, make changes and build for their own pleasures, as well as use as inspiration to solve compatibility issues. What are the legal implications for developers of for example AROS?
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Offline eliyahu

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Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2015, 04:42:56 PM »
@kolla

wasn't this stuff leaked back in the late '90s anyway?

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Offline -BobW-

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Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2015, 04:58:30 PM »
Quote from: eliyahu;800986
@kolla

wasn't this stuff leaked back in the late '90s anyway?

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Yes.  It was leaked before.  

The thing is there is no way anyone could use this legally.  Even looking at the source would be the kiss of death for an AROS or MorphOS dev.  

Personally I'd like to see the 3.1 source LEGALLY open sourced.  I'd like an updated 68K branch targeted at legacy hardware without all of the modern bloat.  Something I could run on my 500 or 4000 or even minimig.  Doubt I will ever see that happen though.
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Offline XDelusion

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Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2015, 04:59:21 PM »
I think the scene is so far under ground at this point that it is not going to pose a real threat to anybody in the long run; I.E. no one is going to want to put much effort into writing competition to OS 4, MorphOS, or what ever. I could be wrong, but that's my theory.
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Offline Hattig

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Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2015, 05:17:23 PM »
About the only advantage would be recompiling with a better compiler and recreating the kickstart and workbench from that, and considering quite a bit is assembler there won't be much to gain. Maybe an '060 build...

But we already have specific libraries reimplemented better (Cosmos, etc) with Kickstart images updated. So again, the gains aren't going to be great.

Otherwise, it's zero use to AROS 68k devs, unless they want legal problems, and ditto elsewhere.
 

Offline Gulliver

Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2015, 05:51:37 PM »
Indeed recompiling for specific processors, optimizing code and fixing old bugs is certainly the value of this leak.

Now coders will finally have access to it, pushing the envelope a little further, which is good for old farts like me, that can apreciate the effort:)
 

Offline Acill

Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2015, 06:29:11 PM »
I cant see how any of it would matter at all. Most everything Amiga related has expired patents. What could any legal team even do at this point? 3.X is no longer being developed and whoever holds the rights should just make a public statement to have at it and improve on what you can. The community of developers that can even make use of this stuff is so small that it should be a no brainer to let them look and give back.
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Offline B00tDisk

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Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2015, 07:03:45 PM »
Quote from: Acill;800991
I cant see how any of it would matter at all. Most everything Amiga related has expired patents. What could any legal team even do at this point? 3.X is no longer being developed and whoever holds the rights should just make a public statement to have at it and improve on what you can. The community of developers that can even make use of this stuff is so small that it should be a no brainer to let them look and give back.


Yeah; McEwen got his money-tap turned off ages ago, didn't he?  When Petti Kouri died?  I doubt he could mount much of an offense against anyone doing anything with OS3.1 at this point.  That's even assuming he ever had paper rights to it anyway which I doubt.
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Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2015, 07:29:02 PM »
The only "implication" i could foresee from the code being "releaked" is some half-a$$ed knowledgeable miggy hacker knuckhead modifying the code in some nefarious, malicious or destructive manner and it getting into the wild for unsuspecting workbench thieves to download and install! Oh well, would serve them right! You are a devious one Trevor! :roflmao:

P.S. I don't mean to imply that Trevor is a knucklehead! :)
« Last Edit: December 29, 2015, 09:53:02 PM by gizmo350 »
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Offline nicholas

Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #9 on: December 29, 2015, 08:49:04 PM »
Quote from: B00tDisk;800992
Yeah; McEwen got his money-tap turned off ages ago, didn't he?  When Petti Kouri died?  I doubt he could mount much of an offense against anyone doing anything with OS3.1 at this point.  That's even assuming he ever had paper rights to it anyway which I doubt.

 As far as I understand, Cloanto own the 68k OS now not Amiga Inc.  Perhaps Amiga Inc leaked it out of spite? Lol
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Offline B00tDisk

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Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #10 on: December 29, 2015, 10:17:50 PM »
Quote from: nicholas;800997
As far as I understand, Cloanto own the 68k OS now not Amiga Inc.  Perhaps Amiga Inc leaked it out of spite? Lol


Ha!  Did not know Cloanto held sole rights.  Yeah that would be a funny turn of events, although I doubt they have anyone on their side who'd know what they were looking at if they weren't told directly what it was and provided extensive documentation...
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Offline bison

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Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #11 on: December 30, 2015, 12:14:05 AM »
Quote from: Acill;800991
I cant see how any of it would matter at all. Most everything Amiga related has expired patents. What could any legal team even do at this point? 3.X is no longer being developed and whoever holds the rights should just make a public statement to have at it and improve on what you can. The community of developers that can even make use of this stuff is so small that it should be a no brainer to let them look and give back.


Copyright and patent law are not the same thing, but I don't know enough about either to explain the differences accurately, and I don't want to add to the confusion by trying.  Perhaps someone else can take a stab at it.
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Offline 7valleys

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Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #12 on: December 30, 2015, 02:23:11 AM »
What it means is that the copyright owner Amiga Inc, or the sole license owner Cloanto can sue anyone who tries to use the code in a commercial venture or sue a website owner who provides access to the code or modified version of the code. It's a matter of civil not criminal law.

It muddies the water for AROS a bit in that if someone contributing to AROS views the code and then uses what s/he sees to enhance AROS, it could open AROS up to be sued by either Cloanto or Amiga Inc.

Copyright in Berne Convention countries last 50 years, this has been enhanced in the EU to 70 years and I believe in the US to 90 years...
 

Offline number6

Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #13 on: December 30, 2015, 02:44:24 AM »
Quote from: 7valleys;801004
What it means is that the copyright owner Amiga Inc, or the sole license owner Cloanto can sue anyone who tries to use the code in a commercial venture or sue a website owner who provides access to the code or modified version of the code. It's a matter of civil not criminal law.

It muddies the water for AROS a bit in that if someone contributing to AROS views the code and then uses what s/he sees to enhance AROS, it could open AROS up to be sued by either Cloanto or Amiga Inc.

Copyright in Berne Convention countries last 50 years, this has been enhanced in the EU to 70 years and I believe in the US to 90 years...



I believe this might be a good place to repeat the claims made in February, 2015 for the sake of clarity:
http://amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2015-02-00027-EN.html

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Offline EvilGuy

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Re: Implications of Amiga OS 3.1 source code leak
« Reply #14 on: December 30, 2015, 07:45:40 AM »
Quote from: nicholas;800997
As far as I understand, Cloanto own the 68k OS now


It'd be so funny if they only had rights to the binary version of the OS and not the source.