4 ms·
Everyone's good with this as far as software goes too, right? All apps go public domain after 20 years of release?
by fattire 8y ago
Everyone's good with this as far as software goes too, right? All apps go public domain after 20 years of release?
- lanterk 8y agoOpen Source, more like. A 20 year old software in vanilla state would likely just not run at all in current hardware.
- snuxoll 8y agoSure, but that's what projects like QEMU/DOSBox/other emulators and compatibility shims are for. There's so much abandonware out there, especially games that are stuck in licensing limbo that can't legally be acquired - and it's only going to get worse going forward as things like licensed middleware, soundtracks, etc. have been thrown into the mix with their own headaches.
- readbeard 8y agoIf copyright were shortened to 20 years as suggested, it would be legal to freely distribute copies of Windows 98 and Photoshop 5.0. I doubt that would make a dent in sales of Windows 10 or Creative Cloud. Newer versions of both would still be copyrighted, and there would be no obligation to release any unpublished source code.
- fattire 8y ago@redbeard-- how about VAX/VMS for example? I believe licenses are still being sold for millions of dollars...
- skookumchuck 8y agoProbably for the up-to-date version. Not the 20 year old version.