For review

[Greg DeKoenigsberg]

OK, having read over the page at:

http://www.worldofspectrum.org/permits/publishers.html

...I'm comfortable with the idea of offering this emulator for Extras.  

The images are another matter -- we're probably best referring people to 
this site for the images in the %docs or something, especially if the 
copyright state of these images tends to be in flux.

--g

_____________________  ____________________________________________
  Greg DeKoenigsberg ] [ the future masters of technology will have
 Community Relations ] [ to be lighthearted and intelligent.  the
             Red Hat ] [ machine easily masters the grim and the 
                     ] [ dumb.  --mcluhan

On Thu, 1 Sep 2005, Paul F. Johnson wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> > > I think that can be said for just about any emulator. However, unless
> > > you can get hold of an old compilation CD, you'll find that 99.99999% of
> > > the images available have been authorised by either the original author
> > > or company. Those which have not are removed from circulation.
> > 
> > Are you speaking specifically about *this* emulator in particular? 
> 
> Yes.
> 
> The ZX Spectrum was a 1980s UK 8 bit home computer which loaded games
> from tape, not plug in ROMS. There was a small attempt (most notably
> from Sinclair Research and Mikrotec) to use ROMS, but they failed badly.
> The only ROM images used are the internal ROMS which contained BASIC and
> what would pass as an OS today. In the US you had the Commodore 64,
> TRS80 and TI99/4a. The Spectrum was released over there as the Timex
> 2000.
> 
> > Because the same *certainly* can not be said for images available for
> > MAME, for instance.
> 
> Yes - I'm well aware of the fun and games with MAME!
> 
> > > I will, of course, respect the wishes of those on high over this. If
> > > it's rejected from FCE, how do I get them into Livna?
> > 
> > My thinking, and IANALBTTTO (I am not a lawyer but talk to them often):
> > 
> > First, the emulator itself.  
> > 
> > If it's intended to play ROMs that are not licensed for redistribution,
> > then providing the emulator is an act of contributory infringement.
> 
> If you care to have a look at worldofspectrum.org you'll find that the
> distribution of the ROMS is blessed by the owners - and that is despite
> Amstrad using the ROMS in a pile of new technologies now.
> 
> > If, however, it's intended to play ROMs that *are* licensed for 
> > redistribution, and if we can prove this, then making the emulator 
> > available is much lower risk.
> 
> Again, the answers lay here :
> 
> http://www.worldofspectrum.org/permits/publishers.html
> 
> Anything not allowed is gone. This goes also for ftp.nvg.org (I think it
> is).
> 
> > In either event, we shouldn't be redistributing ROMs themselves unless 
> > they've been licensed *under an OSI license*, which seems unlikely.
> 
> The ROMS are distributed as images. They are useless without a Spectrum
> emulator. I'm not sure what the licence condition would be, but given
> the source is GPL (and this is known to the ROM owners who are aware of
> what this means) and they still gave their blessing, then I can't see a
> problem.
> 
> > So.  I'd say your options are: 1. make a defensible case that the majority
> > of ROMs for this emulator are freely redistributable, or 2. read up on
> > Livna at http://rpm.livna.org/development.html.
> 
> I'll have a look at Livna at work later today (it's 1.10am here and I
> need some sleep!), but would appreciate someone checking out
> worldofspectrum.org and fuse-emulator.sourceforge.net which should allay
> fears of all naughtiness.
> 
> TTFN
> 
> Paul
> -- 
> "A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the
> best and then make sure that you are. In my time at Liverpool we always
> said we had the best two teams on Merseyside, Liverpool and Liverpool
> Reserves." - Bill Shankly
> 
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>