[plug] OT Old submarine game

[Steve Vertigan]

Mark Nold wrote:
> 
> How are things classified as abandonware? Has SSI said "This is now
> abandonware and free for all"? Or is it more of a community thing: "I
> can't buy this any longer, therefore its been abandoned".

There's a myth among warez distributors that software becomes
'abandonware' after 7 years, however the US Patents office has clarified
that software patents are valid for 50 years like all other patents (I
*think* it's 50).  Occasionally a company will decide to open source an
old program or place it in the public domain or whatever but I doubt
they call it abandonware, it becomes whatever they've released it as. 
That said if a company is no longer selling or deriving income from a
program it's unlikely they'd bother to prosecute you for distributing it
illegally, just be warned 'abandonware' isn't a valid legal status.

Regards,
Steve
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