[Coco] ROM Copyrights... copyrights in general...

Dennis Bathory-Kitsz bathory at maltedmedia.com
Wed Jun 7 23:18:17 EDT 2017


On Wed, June 7, 2017 8:39 pm, James Ross wrote:
> Is it technically illegal to download and/or distribute copyrighted CoCo ROMs?
> Yes. Is it theoretically possible to get into trouble for doing either? Yes.
> But the chances of that happening are probably sooooo slim, you would have a
> much greater chance at winning the Powerball lottery by yourself.

Intellectual property owners like to teach expensive "lessons" as examples. It
may be unlikely but you would have no defense and the fines can be staggering:
 <https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/sep/11/minnesota-woman-songs-illegally-downloaded>

Get permission. Stay legal. You may consider the laws ridiculous, but I dont'.

As a creator of intellectual property (600 articles, 6 books, 1200 musical
compositions, fonts, hundreds of published photographs and videos, many
computer programs), I take the copyright laws seriously and give no quarter to
violators who scoff at those laws. I have issued my share of takedown notices
to those who never even bothered to ask my permission -- which I typically
give generously.

As for my own old computer articles and software, I have specifically placed
those in the public domain.

Dennis




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