5 ms·

Any idea what the copyright situation is on these downloads? The page for Windows XP (Whistler) shows this message: > Microsoft has asserted their copyright s

by jannes 7y ago

Any idea what the copyright situation is on these downloads? The page for Windows XP (Whistler) shows this message: > Microsoft has asserted their copyright status regarding Windows XP. WinWorld respects this and therefore will not host Windows XP. > Microsoft still supports various incarnations of this software, and its availability competes with newer Windows product sales. Windows XP is not rare or in danger of disappearing, and therefore has no real place on WinWorld anyway. However, the pre-release versions are available for download?!

IntelMiner 7y ago
Presumably the betas and pre-release versions are dead-ends. You can't patch a pre-release copy of XP to Service Pack 3
duff_ww 7y ago
Abandonware is definitely in a grey area when it comes to copyright. In our experience, most companies (at least the ones that are still around) don't mind the distribution of outdated and unsupport products provided no profit is being gained from said distribution. Microsoft, and likely other software companies, are at least vaguely aware of our existence. We received a DMCA notice from them approximately five years ago, regarding the RTM versions of Windows XP and Office 2000. Since those were removed we haven't had an issue. Given you aren't going to see people using Whistler in production use, they didn't seem to bother with requesting any pre-release software be removed. The short version is, I consider it both safe and ethical to use any software on WinWorld for experimental, personal and educational purposes. I only advise caution if you're considering use in a place of business; proper licensing is of course important in that situation. - Duff (Founder, WW)
- ralphc 7y ago
  For the sake of argument, let's say someone had to run Windows 95 or 98 at a business, to support an old piece of equipment with an expansion card and drivers can't run on newer software. Is it even possible to pay for a license for these old versions of Windows?
  - cr0sh 7y ago
    > Is it even possible to pay for a license for these old versions of Windows? Not from MS - they don't sell or support it any longer. But, you can easily find real install CDs with actual licenses on the used market. Check Ebay and thrift stores, sometimes used book stores, too. I've also found a healthy offering of old OS install software at hamfest swap meets (where if you're lucky, you'll also find for sale - and relatively cheap - older computers, such as S-100 bus machines from the 1970s). That's the only way you'll be able to get a "legal" version of the operating system.
    - tecleandor 7y ago
      I once had access to one of their subscriptions for startups, were you haves, among other things, access to their software, and they have old releases on their directory you can download, as Windows 3.11 and the like. I don't know how is the licensing for that (only while you hold subscription to the site?).
- cr0sh 7y ago
  Hey Duff, there's a couple of missing operating systems I noted here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22099717 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22099717 Monkey Linux and Caldera OpenDOS; I gave some links for the former, I think there are sources out there of the latter. If you want or need anything not there, let me know, I probably have it in my archives at home.
  - aidenn0 7y ago
    IIRC OpenDOS was a rebrand of Novell DOS, which was a rebrand of DR-DOS, which has a page: https://winworldpc.com/product/dr-dos/7x https://winworldpc.com/product/dr-dos/7x
- EvanAnderson 7y ago
  I'm not judging what you're doing, but from a copyright law perspective it's not a grey area. It's copyright infringement if you haven't been granted a license to distribute the software. Companies may not complain but that doesn't stop it from being copyright infringement.

by jannes 7y ago

IntelMiner 7y ago

Presumably the betas and pre-release versions are dead-ends. You can't patch a pre-release copy of XP to Service Pack 3

duff_ww 7y ago

Abandonware is definitely in a grey area when it comes to copyright. In our experience, most companies (at least the ones that are still around) don't mind the distribution of outdated and unsupport products provided no profit is being gained from said distribution. Microsoft, and likely other software companies, are at least vaguely aware of our existence. We received a DMCA notice from them approximately five years ago, regarding the RTM versions of Windows XP and Office 2000. Since those were removed we haven't had an issue. Given you aren't going to see people using Whistler in production use, they didn't seem to bother with requesting any pre-release software be removed. The short version is, I consider it both safe and ethical to use any software on WinWorld for experimental, personal and educational purposes. I only advise caution if you're considering use in a place of business; proper licensing is of course important in that situation. - Duff (Founder, WW)

ralphc 7y ago
For the sake of argument, let's say someone had to run Windows 95 or 98 at a business, to support an old piece of equipment with an expansion card and drivers can't run on newer software. Is it even possible to pay for a license for these old versions of Windows?
- cr0sh 7y ago
  > Is it even possible to pay for a license for these old versions of Windows? Not from MS - they don't sell or support it any longer. But, you can easily find real install CDs with actual licenses on the used market. Check Ebay and thrift stores, sometimes used book stores, too. I've also found a healthy offering of old OS install software at hamfest swap meets (where if you're lucky, you'll also find for sale - and relatively cheap - older computers, such as S-100 bus machines from the 1970s). That's the only way you'll be able to get a "legal" version of the operating system.
  - tecleandor 7y ago
    I once had access to one of their subscriptions for startups, were you haves, among other things, access to their software, and they have old releases on their directory you can download, as Windows 3.11 and the like. I don't know how is the licensing for that (only while you hold subscription to the site?).
cr0sh 7y ago
Hey Duff, there's a couple of missing operating systems I noted here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22099717 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22099717 Monkey Linux and Caldera OpenDOS; I gave some links for the former, I think there are sources out there of the latter. If you want or need anything not there, let me know, I probably have it in my archives at home.
- aidenn0 7y ago
  IIRC OpenDOS was a rebrand of Novell DOS, which was a rebrand of DR-DOS, which has a page: https://winworldpc.com/product/dr-dos/7x https://winworldpc.com/product/dr-dos/7x
EvanAnderson 7y ago
I'm not judging what you're doing, but from a copyright law perspective it's not a grey area. It's copyright infringement if you haven't been granted a license to distribute the software. Companies may not complain but that doesn't stop it from being copyright infringement.