Is there a time after which software becomes automatically free?

[psxphill]

It's certainly not adapted to the advancements in technology. And the copyright holders of old computer games generally do not seem to be interested in sharing the old games, even though they are clearly not available for purchase anywhere.

If games automatically became free after a limited amount of time, then alot of people would just wait.
 
It has adapted to changes in technology, unfortunately not the way you would like. Disney has pushed for longer and longer copyrights purely because of VHS/DVD/bluray coming into peoples homes. When they first started they only had cinemas to worry about, who would have trouble making money showing old films. But spread out among the population there are enough people prepared to pay for old stuff if they have to, that it becomes worthwhile & they want that protected.
 
As for translations, there are plenty of translated roms going about & nothing bad seems to happen to those that do it.

[psxphill]

It's more of a "de facto" thing; when copyright holders no longer cares one bit about the product, and when they would no longer bother to enforce their copyright (that strictly legally speaking applies for a very long time, as others already said above), then you are in practice free to do what you want with it.

As with any law, if you don't get caught then you are in practise free to do it. Laws are there to stop law abiding citizens, not to stop criminals.
 
The abandonware page on wikipedia is a little delusional & is just trying to justify it. If you accept that what you're doing is wrong then you're more likely to get away with it, because you'll be more careful.
 
i.e. if you buy into the abandonware idea then you will believe you have every right to sell it.

[psxphill]

"Stealing?" But nothing is taken, nothing is lost, not to anyone. It's not like shoplifting a DVD player from a store. When it comes to digital/"virtual" IP (not existing in a physical shape) such as SW, movies and music, the only thing that can be lost is a potential sale, and if no potential sale could be there anyway, then not even that is lost, so you are perfectly clear from a moral point of view. And when the legal IP holder doesn't care either, then you are perfectly clear from a legal point of view as well. It's not a "crime" (:lol:) until the IP owner says it is by filing a law suit on you./QUOTE]
 
It depends on where you live as whether it's covered by criminal or civil law.
 
Making a copy of something deprives the copyright owner of the exclusive right to make copies. That right has a monetary value, which you devalue when you make any unauthorised copies. Even if the copyright owner is not currently exercising that right, it may in the future.

[psxphill]

On the topic: NO, author has to free it. Abandonware class abuses
the fact that in IT companies die quickly or merge, platforms change so no one would complain for having freely avail download of ZX Spectrum Renegade

Abandonware is just people trying to legitimise copyright infringement. It's like saying that it's ok to shoot people because in America so many people get away with it that obviously nobody cares.