"http://www.amiga-hardware.com" is Down??

[Argus]

@all

afaik, generally accepted international copyright is automatic upon creation and valid unless a) the author dies prior to transferring the right or b) he/she affirmatively releases the copyright.  There really is no such thing as passive abandonware in software copyright law.

Having said that, it is a pity that someone would be so petty as to prevent use of some likely 10 year old software that has little/no street value other than to a community of retro enthusiasts.  This is especially the case if said author does not make the copyrighted material available for sale.  But, in the final analysis it is his ball and he is in the right to say who can play with it.

[Argus]

@motrucker

Yes, you are right there is no world government...I was speaking as to how business is done internationally; something that is getting better and better for copyright holders.  US or, for that matter, EU country copyright law has a very long reach indeed.  The copyright holder can sue even international defendants in US court (there are suits pending against many Chinese companies for this very thing for knockoff software and music).  A foreigner can't hide behind lack of a treaty to prevent a judgment in US court, even if you live in some hostile country like Iran (which has little or no diplomatic relations with the US).  Think of the 9-11 plaintiff's wrongful death suits against Osama bin Laden.  Where is he?...well he's not exactly going to show up in a US court.

Good luck collecting you say?  If the violator doesn't appear in court, a default judgment is entered and even if the plaintiff can't collect right now, the pirate had better stay away from all US ports and countries *with* treaties to enforce valid judgments (e.g. bank accounts, assets).  Think it doesn't matter?...Just take a look at all those Iranian assets still frozen since 1979.

[Argus]

motrucker wrote:
But how many Chinese assests have been frozen since their pirating started enmass?

The Cuban government has been asking the same question for years.  They want to sell us a few lousy cigars and sugar cane but the US won't hear of it because they're Communist....while China pirates US products with abandon and gets most favored nation status....all the while building bigger armaments and ICBMs..politics is all it is, plain and simple.  China is big but we're told not a threat, Cuba is small but is.  Iran threatens openly to blow up Israel and is making nukes to do just that, but we have the US 3rd Infantry Division busy tied up 'winning hearts and minds' in Baghdad....go figure