A-EON Technology Acquires Personal Paint

[som99]

Which versions can I still share on my Web server?

I currently have following 68K versions:
2.0, 2.1, 4.0, 6.0, 6.1, 6.3, 6.4, 7.0.

Am I allowed to share any of them?

I have password protected and modified the archive while waiting for answer.

http://www.som99.se/pp

[som99]

+1 for OS X version, though it might seem like an unlikely development.

@som99

As far as I know, 7.1c was the only version released for free on Aminet. I posted the license of that on page 6. It's very hard to read, since it mixes all-caps legal stuff with informal and vague descriptions of your liabilities, some of which can be disregarded completely (like the 10k euro fairy tale), but the way I read it you have no rights to distribute it without a "prior written license". I don't know whether that refers to the terms described in the license included with the archive itself or to some separate distribution contract, but supposedly the former, in which case it's all right to host it.

@som99
No copyright software should ever be distributed without a valid licence.

PPaint has never been freeware, public domain at any point. The Aminet version was a special licence to Aminet only.

Then I have to keep it at lockdown I guess, thanks for the reply.

Distribution of dead no longer sold software is somewhat a gray area where I make the decision to share rather then make the software get lost over time, so then I do it to preserve the software, this is not exclusive to Amiga but all systems. But as always if any authors or copyright holders tell me to take it down I do.

[som99]

So versions sub 7.1 will note be avaliable elsewhere? Why does it matter then if I host them, anyone gets hurt by it?
If so it seems this falls under the title "Abandonware" in my book.

[som99]

Abandonware has no basis in law. It's stealing, like if you see anyone elses processions not being used (like for instance a car or a house) and decide to take it.

It's different.
First of you can't compare it to taking someone elses car/house since you are using a copy of it, it's not anyone taking your house/car it's just a clone of it, I wouldn't care if anymone made a replica of my unused car/house in the other side of the world.

No one is stealing original floppies from anyone so no one is loosing any physical object.

How then would anyone get hurt if the software is not beeing produced/sold anymore?

If I stop supporting my old software I would just be happy if someone spread it so people still can use it if they want to.
If somene thought it worth their time to spread my old software I would take that as a compliment and be happy that there still are people out there that would like to use my old software.

I don't understand all defensiveness against spreading old unobtainable software.

Damn if people would not make digital copies of software there are many Terabytes of data that would be lost to the world, I'm glad people takes their time doing this (including myself).

We do not have a single case in Sweden where anyone lost in court in the matter of spreading "abandonware".

Also as I said, IF the aurthor or copyright holder do not want me to share something I remove it without questions asked.

[som99]

@Thomas Richter - Thanks for your long and well written response.
Also to be clear I do not encourage anyone to share old software at all, that's up to the individual themself to decide if they want to do or not.

Also it's insane to think that someone would hunt after 20+ year old software that has not been sold in near that amount of time just to make some bucks, but sure it does happen but in all cases iv'e seen and one been a part of it was just a copyright watchdog and a cease and desist letter.

You can compare it, because in both cases you're depriving someone. Copyright is an exclusive right to copy, they don't have to copy it but you that doesn't give you permission. You might refuse to sell something because you're trying to sell something different.
But I'd love to see you trying your pseudo law in court.

I understand what you mean, but in many old Amiga software (and other systems) cases there are verry little to no chance of someone releasing the software again or any superior product and thus not wanting anyone to have the former software. There also is many cases where it's even hard to figure out (they don't know them selves) who owns the rights to something (and source long gone), many games are at that stage and it's just sad to see the software dissapere. I mean some people have put down a lot of work into something and then it's just a shame for that to be forgotten on old failing floppies.
That's just my opinion on it and my main reason why I archive and save a lot of old software and when saying software im talking about anything from games to productive suites etc.
I am surely not doing it to hurt anyone.

And in cases where a game is re-released on IOS/Android/Windows PC or something, who really thinks that the original Amiga version copies hurts those sales?, Amiga users buy it for the new system if they want it even if they have it for original hardware or not.

I think ive bought pretty much every single re-release of anything Amiga related on platforms that I own. I also buy every new Amiga release that comes even if not to common nowdays, I think the last thing I bought was tales of gorluth.

In short for me is preservation to hinder something from getting lost forever important.

PS: Sorry about my bad late night English.

Edit: Also some games and software are pretty much impossible to get your hands on these days on original media, myself are still looking for a boxed version of Moonstone but prices are 500$ and up which is hard to justify (still kicking myself for not buying it when I found it for 200$ two years ago), because some titles like that is hard to get hold and demand is higher then suply it's insane that people should not be able to play it anymore by using digital copies.

Edit: can anyone please suply some court cases involving private persons and distubution of 15+ year old software? Ive searched here in Sweden and can not find a single case, everything is just about new software and movies/music. Seems hard to find this anywhere from any place in the world.

[som99]

Your site seems have a password on it, that's not very helpful in terms of preservation. :-(

Oh I am a uploader/top sharer on a closed retro torrent community so I share TB's a month
But regarding my site, it's still under construction, some parts are not password protected but flagged hidden so just knowing the right /ending makes em accessable.

Also I am in the process of bulding another server and merging everything from a bunch of current machines to that one (EXSi virtualization) and the goal of the new dual CPU Xeon machine is to handle the load of many machines. When that machine is done and all configurations and merging of ZFS etc is done I will work on the homepage again

If someone want access to something password protected just hit me up with a PM telling me what you want and i'll might make an account for you I already have a bunch of amiga.org users in the userlist

ThoR has made some accurate observations about the legalities of abandonware, but as you have surmised, in terms of actual cases of being taken to court over abandonware, it just doesn't happen. Therefore the actual legal risk is effectively nil. And of course, as in my case, if one has no assets, there is no problem in being sued.

Yea as said, going to court as Abandonware sharer in Sweden does not happen, court do not pick up on it and most common is as said cease and desist which also is not to common regarding old software but have happened (yes EA I am looking at you).

Edit: Now it's to off topic so I'll get back to the subject.

Great that PP will still be worked on, I will buy the latest PP version for 3.x when possible.

Edit: Just bought 7.3