Devpac QL

[RWAP]

Sorry, but I would never distribute something without the copyright holder's permission - I believe in upholding their rights.

......

Why does the above statement always elicit such opinionated views from various quarters.....

Just to clarify the above statement, as so many people do not seem to understand this:

a) I am an ex-solicitor - I would not do anything to breach someone else's rights. There is NO such thing as abandonware in English law.
b) If I get rights to distribute software, this is on a commercial basis and I pay royalties to the original copyright holder.
c) If I get permission for software to be made available as public domain, then I send it on to Dilwyn, for him to make freely available through the Sinclair QL Homepage - as this is the home of public domain software for the QL.
d) As part of the software preservation project, I recover as much QL software as I can and offer it as a replacement working copy to anyone that can show me that they own the original, as this is not in breach of the original copyright holder's rights.

If you don't like this approach, then set up your own software preservation site - just beware that some of the QL copyright holders are extremely vocal and will happily sue !

[otis]

FWIW, I happen to have MonQL and GenQL. Still interested in them?

[Dave]

I'm curious why this is in the "Wanted" section.


There isn't a legal recognition of "abandonware" - but there are many situations where there is no individual or corporation with standing to bring a suit. In those cases, the software is in that murky grey area where it is legally protected by copyright, but nobody is in a position to defend that copyright. This won't happen if the copyright holder was an individual, because they always have an estate, but it regularly happens when copyright is held by a corporation that dissolves and doesn't transfer its assets to another corporation or individual.

In those cases, does the claim to copyright protection dissolve with the corporation? No. Can anyone take any action on behalf of the former copyright holder? No.

As Rich will happily tell you, copyright law is a murky swamp of overlapping and often contradictory regulations.

That said, "abandonware" definitely exists and is a specific legal status, it just is a status by omission, not one that is defined by law.

[RWAP]

So far as I know, HiSoft still exist - http://www.hisoft.co.uk/

It is therefore up to them whether to allow the software to be made freeware.

Please feel free to approach them Dave (or anyone else) - I have stopped tracking down the copyright holders as it was a thankless task

[NormanDunbar]

Contact has been made ....

[MichalQL]

Fantastic. Is there any feedback/ reply?
Thanks for pushing.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[NormanDunbar]

Well, the web site promised to try and respond within 24 hours....sadly, no response yet. Sorry.

Cheers,
Norm.

[Dave]

(01983) 861342 seems to be their number.

I can't call it from the US though - well not economically.

[MichalQL]

I'm more than happy to make the call, but what is that I can/should tell them or ask for? I do not have copy nor the original .
Given the argumentation RWAP shoould make the call... or can Rich provide the "context" for my call please.
Michal

[NormanDunbar]

What I asked in my email was:

Is it possible to have Devpac QL binaries released as public domain, or even, open source - if the source code is still available somewhere.

Obviously, I was "wordier" than that, but that was the gist.

Cheers,
Norm.