Author Topic: OP:MIA Software is FREE  (Read 5128 times)

Offline leeor_net

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OP:MIA Software is FREE
« on: October 29, 2004, 09:55:14 PM »
OP:MIA is a free game and will remain so. I cannot charge anything for it as that would result in a copyright AND trademark infringement.

OP:MIA's development is a lot slower than usual because of this. I do have a small business that I am running so free time is at an all time low and even less for programming projects.

Also, for all of those who are thinking that they are going to create a new Outpost and then sell it, unless you are paying serious royalty fees to SIERRA and whoever else (Dynamix to, I believe), than you will get slammed real hard. Please be careful and make sure you have all of the appropriate documentation and permissions to sell these games.

Also, OP:MIA's graphics and data and whatnot I don't think I'll be redistributing. Anything that I create will be free. The rest of it you'll be required to supply or have. In other words, if you don't have a real copy of OP (or at least at one point owned it), I'm not handing out the graphic data. Or rather, because I reformatted all of it and thus will force me to release those as well, you'll have to use an "honor system". Please follow this. Stealing games and other software isn't cool (unless it's an operating system from MS. Windows should be free anyway) and I know that I wouldn't appreciate it if I released something for a fee and people stole it.

So please, don't steal computer software. It sucks for the rest of us.

 :op2:  Leeor Dicker

Offline leeor_net

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OP:MIA Software is FREE
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2004, 09:59:12 PM »
I forgot to mention in the first post:
=======================


I posted this because I've gotten several inquiries about people asking how they can pay for the game. I'm sure they were all suprised when I told them I didn't want payment.


Also, part of the reason is because I don't want to be sued. The biggest part, however, is this:

I don't believe that a program should be sold. It's just a bunch of 0's and 1's. The game data, on the other hand, is a different story.

I'm not selling this game because it's just a new executable program using the same artwork from the original (with a few new ones added). I simply rearranged the original artwork. Hence, most of the game's art is not my own and therefor does not entitle me to recieving any payment.

I hope everyone can understand this concept.

Offline PlayingOutpost0-24

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OP:MIA Software is FREE
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2004, 08:54:28 AM »
Quote
Also, for all of those who are thinking that they are going to create a new Outpost and then sell it, unless you are paying serious royalty fees to SIERRA and whoever else (Dynamix to, I believe), than you will get slammed real hard. Please be careful and make sure you have all of the appropriate documentation and permissions to sell these games.

STFU now SIERRA is dead so it can't tell u quit stealing the game idea!



...
Great news for OP2 fans... OP3 in progress.
Official Site
Outpost 3: A New Power progress
OP3:NP Discussion

Progress in OP3:NP[/size][/font]
PLANNING[|||||||||-]
GRAPHICS [||||------]
SOUNDS [|---------]
MAP DESIGNING [|||||-----]
CODING [----------]
Going slowly... Very slow.

Offline leeor_net

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OP:MIA Software is FREE
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2004, 11:33:33 PM »
It doesn't matter if SIERRA is gone. I believe Dynamix is still around and they would retain copyrights. A copyright is an 80 year deal and there is someone out there who does care and will sue.

This is really just a heads up to everyone. That's all.

 :op2: Leeor Dicker

Offline PlayingOutpost0-24

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OP:MIA Software is FREE
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2004, 04:39:16 AM »
1) everyone does what he/she wants. please leave them alone...
2) search results prove that there are No copyright for OP2
Great news for OP2 fans... OP3 in progress.
Official Site
Outpost 3: A New Power progress
OP3:NP Discussion

Progress in OP3:NP[/size][/font]
PLANNING[|||||||||-]
GRAPHICS [||||------]
SOUNDS [|---------]
MAP DESIGNING [|||||-----]
CODING [----------]
Going slowly... Very slow.

Offline leeor_net

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OP:MIA Software is FREE
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2004, 08:41:06 PM »
I don't know what search it is that you're running but by US and international Copyright Laws, there IS still a copyright on OP2 and WILL be for the next 80 years minus however long it's been since it was released.

You're right. People do what they want. This does not mean that there are no consequences involved. If I want to murder someone, there is a consequence. If I want to steal a car, there's a consequence. If I want to create a product that uses the same work as another product and even have it run by the same name without proper written permissions, there's a consequence.

 :op2: Leeor Dicker
« Last Edit: November 04, 2004, 08:43:43 PM by leeor_net »

Offline BlackBox

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OP:MIA Software is FREE
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2004, 10:34:42 AM »
Dynamix is no longer around. They have gone bankrupt (I believe, it was 1999 or 2000 that happened?)

The copyright age is 75 years from the date of the copyright.

However, I don't think it would matter too much if you sold it, for a few reasons:

1) The company is no longer around to enforce the copyright. (There is no one to represent the plaintiff, in the case that the copyright is found to be violated, and someone would have to find THAT out to begin with.)

2) Sierra (the publisher) doesn't really exist anymore.... it's merged with Vivendi Universal Games. (VUGames). I can bet no one at VUGames knows what Outpost 2 is. (To prove this, I once asked them a technical question about OP2. They were clueless what I was talking about and all they could point me to was the old OP1 knowledge base stuff.... basically a catalogue of how to get the OP1.5 updates, etc)

3) If you get the consent of the creator, you bypass all legal ramifications regarding the game. I highly doubt Dan Duncalf, the lead programmer and concept planner for the game would balk at the idea of releasing a sequel. (He'd probably welcome it, actually)

With that, I'm going to close this topic rather than run the risk of letting a full scale battle happen on the forums.

Offline leeor_net

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« Reply #7 on: November 09, 2004, 10:44:57 PM »
Agreed.

You're right on all accounts.