6600raft@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Michael Wise) (05/04/90)
Someone noted that the Infocom company was no longer. Does this imply that software they published is now in the public domain? Furthermore, if it is, where may one obtain it. I have been unable to find it in the massive Simtel archives, but I assume it could be floating around somewhere else. Perhaps because I haven't seen it means that it is NOT public domain. Would someone please elaborate? -- ========================================================================= | Internet: 6600raft@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu | All opinions stated are mine.| | BITNET: 6600raft@UCSBUXA.BITNET | **Save The Earth** | =========================================================================
andrew@frip.WV.TEK.COM (Andrew Klossner) (05/04/90)
[]
"Someone noted that the Infocom company was no longer. Does
this imply that software they published is now in the public
domain?"
No. When a company stops operating, they still retain the rights to
their assets, and can transfer them. Activision, or whoever owns them,
holds the rights to the Infocom software. This leaves new CP/M users
in the frustrating position of wanting Infocom CP/M games but having no
legal means of obtaining them, other than buying them from other CP/M
users or from the dusty stocks of distributors.
On a similar note, it should be mentioned that CP/M dBASE II, whose
port has been discussed here recently, is still copyright by
Ashton-Tate, even though they no longer sell or support it.
-=- Andrew Klossner (uunet!tektronix!frip.WV.TEK!andrew) [UUCP]
(andrew%frip.wv.tek.com@relay.cs.net) [ARPA]ameyer@nsscb.UUCP (Andy Meyer) (05/09/90)
In article <7005@orca.wv.tek.com> andrew@frip.wv.tek.com writes: > > "Someone noted that the Infocom company was no longer. Does > this imply that software they published is now in the public > domain?" > > No. When a company stops operating, they still retain the rights to > their assets, and can transfer them. Activision, or whoever owns them, > holds the rights to the Infocom software. True. InfoCom is owned by Activision, which in turn is owned by MediaGenic. I suspect that to find whatever InfoCom products are still stocked, one would need to contact MediaGenic: MediaGenic/Activision 3480 Bohannon Drive Menlo Park, CA 94025 415-329-0500 It would be interesting to know whether they still have any InfoCom stuff! -- Andreas Meyer ameyer%nsscb@ulysses.att.com ..!att!ulysses!nsscb!ameyer #include <disclaimer.h> Rip-stop nylon: How does it know?!