Reporting pirates on eBay

[AndreasM]

Pirate copies are a big problem for all publisher where like release software in future for the amiga.

example we make only one game. no new game are in developing from us. to many pirate copies.

i found every week 1-2 shops where the user can buy DVDs with many pirate copies. for a big money. this shops make money with the work from the developers (

example: http://www.apc-tcp.de/piratee.html

[AndreasM]

@TheMagicM

>AndreasM: your situation is different.. you're still developing software and selling it now so thats different.

not really. the users, shop, auctions dont make any difference between old or new software.

exampole a englisch company where makes "Classic Collecstion". 2 DVDs with many illegal copies. included 7 illegal copies from our software. and write on the cover and page that the company are the rightholders from all software on the dvds. sell it to dealer and there sell it on ebay. i close in the last months mor as 300 auctions with thsi dvds worldwide and delete some powersellers from ebay.

i think this company in Swindon sells 1.000+ copies from this dvd set. every set for Euro 20+

now teher have a porblem with many dealers, police and our lawyer

or a whdload pirate page. spread 2 games from us 1+ year. now there become a visit from the police and when i have a little time we close the page...

we release only one game in some weeks. all other games have we cancel for amiga and we dont start to develope news games for the amiga. to many illegal copies and (!) to many users where say that is ok to make illegal copies.

@amigamad

everybody can what do again the pirate copies. dont accept pirate users. dont support pirate users!

@boing

yes and no. a hardware need many software. pirate copies is a point that the users buy the hardware. but the last years is the amiga place very small. now the pirate copies make a new problem. many pirate copies = low sell rate = no new software for the amiga. in this point is it correct when a user say "pirate copies damage the amiga".

and users dojt make any different between old non supportet software and new software. example planetemu, amiga nostalgia, amiga4u, spaceballs, amiag dream, rommania, eggmans, total emulation, EAB, goldflesh, killergoria and and and (and some pages dont exits in the future )



btw. i know, my english is very bad )

[AndreasM]

>This witchhunt you are doing are only damaging your reputation in the amiga scene, dragging people to court over this is very lame ..

?

>Release some new games and we will see, dont come here and say the old: piracy is to much on the amiga..The problem now is that it is not enough users (even to pirate IMO!!) ..

NO, we dont start to develope new games!

yes, is correct. not enough users. but more as enough pirate pages. and enough users where buy illegal CDs and DVDs

>Do you think you can stop pirating, or do you only want more money ??

only want more money? hmm, do you like develope a game for us... for free?

sure we cant not stop the pirates. but we can make her life stronger. special pirates who make money with the illegal copies.

[AndreasM]

>You are one of the people who my post does not quite fit. Althoguh your site is German (I'm a silly American who knows little of other languages) I do belive when you said you make one product for the Amiga, you mean the newer ones.

hmm, when you dont click on the button "english".. yes, than is the page only in german

>Even if that is not the case, and you do make product for the "classic Amigas" as some call them, keep in mind your company DOES in fact exist, and we CAN buy it from you. As

yes, we make something for classic and os4. is all on our page. only the tolls and game in develope are not on the page.

> I mentioned, I refer to strictly companies who have dissolved/disappeared/left the scene way back when the Amiga "faded away". Just clarifying that so that you understand. I in no way condone priacy. What I do condone is the continuation of product. I do not believe that someone's work should simply disappear from the face of the Earth just because the media cannot sustain it life. I'm not saying it's right to take 1 copy (the original) and make 5000 copies and sell em. But I am saying if you hold 1 legal copy, be it from ebay or the original company 20 years ago, no matter whether it's on original media or not, you retain the right to that software.. Which would include moving it to newer media to allow it to continue to work. Until you sell it, of course, which then you would surrender your rights to the software. If that makes any sense at all..

i never talk from software which the user can nowhere buy legal. i talk from the software where the user can buy on the legal way. but its give users/shops/auction where illegal copies from this software, too. thats the problem.

>All that aside, legal questions for anyone out there who knows. This topic got me curious. How many years in fact must pass for software to become public domain, assuming the company did not set it so when they shutdown/closed?

in germany 75 year after the dead from the copyrightholder.
and i have talk from our software. we are not closed. me make support for our fisrt product from 1992, too.

> And is there a list of such titles/companies anywhere?

a list from which software? old commerzial software what now are free? is a small list. i think 1% are free. not more.

[AndreasM]

>>hmm, when you dont click on the button "english".. yes, than is the page only in german

>Ok, do this, and put on your English cap. Click Englsih. Now, click the first icon/picture you see, entitled "Ausgabe 55".(not English) Yes, there is some English in the top text, but many of the buttons are what I assume is German. (a side-side totally OT: I love Settlers of Catan, a German-made (a company called Cosmos) makes it. There is an American conversion, but it is not as good. Anyway.. I do appologize for the snap comment on no English. I just didn't research it enough ;(

argh, you are on the page from our german print mag

Amiga Future is a print mag not a company

www.apc-tcp.de is our company

>I did look over your site more now.. I hit the first link originally just to see what it was you did real quick that you were sharing links to. In fact, you seem to be the type of place to do exactly what I mentioned. You are a publisher, yes? Not specially a software house, programming games. Why is it that no pub., like yourself, by chance, swoops in and gets the rights to all these "dead" games/programs? I'd assume a decent amount of money could be made off it. They could be released, on a need be basis by order and demand on floppy. Has your company ever considered that, I mean, obviously they have, you ARE a publisher.. But what about something on a grander scale? There are plenty of "classic Amiga" fans who'd line up at your eDoor!

go on the correct page, than we can talk

[AndreasM]

hmm, from wher you know how many copies from our softare we sell?

yes, what the people do is their own time and risk.

when we found someone where sell illegal copies (every way, donates an on the page is the same as selling) cost this the user many money. the price for the police and lawyer are not cheap but some user dont check this. dont know why.