Remaking Games

[histgamer]

Hey I was just curious. When a PC game has been out a long time like many of the Matrix remakes, does Matrix have to pay the original company for development rights? How does Matrix or any developer go about remaking a game that originally game out 10+ year ago. Is the code basically free game once its abandon-ware? It seems like the software industry is one part of the economy where remakes are much more common without at least public licensing.

[IainMcNeil]

Abandonware is just a term for piracy where there is nobody left to chase you for infringing their rights. All the rights belong to the original owner unless there is a contract stating otherwise. It's never legal to use someone elses code without their permission. A lot of sites would have you believe otherwise

[histgamer]

So does the Panzer Corps series have permission from SSI or is that a case of same concept and game but completely different code and thus fair game... How does it work when a company goes out of business?

The way I understand it Code falls under Copyright laws not patent so it would have to go 100ish years before it would truly be fair game, is that correct?

[Cmdrcain]

ORIGINAL: Iain McNeil

Abandonware is just a term for piracy where there is nobody left to chase you for infringing their rights. All the rights belong to the original owner unless there is a contract stating otherwise. It's never legal to use someone elses code without their permission. A lot of sites would have you believe otherwise

It depends on the laws through, after all theres books out there now that are basically free because the copy write has long expired..


With software its just not old enough yet

Even the early 70's stuff is only like less 50 years

Books I'm talking of are like books written 100+ years ago..

However Software has a twist...

Your buying a LICENSE to use

Still how long the product(software) is protected depends on law... is it for 50 years? 100 years? 75 years before like certain books its public domain?

Thats why we got these PITA people called Lawyers..

[Anonymous]

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