Kingkuma's download dilemma: a copyright problem

kingkumakingkuma cancels Work: distracted by Dwarf Fortress Join Date: 2015-09-25 Member: 208137Members
My question is as follows: If you own a game on CD - ROM, but it doesn't work due to being too old, is it piracy to download it and play it on your current computer?

Background: For about 50% of my life, my home computers ran Windows XP. There was a game, called D/Generation, that I played, but never beat. It was initally released for the Amiga, but was later sold for PC, like the CD I have. However, as I run Windows 10 now, it won't work. The licence on D/Generation is expired, but the software for the AMIGA still has licencing, and they do not want people using their software without buying it. As most copies online of D/Generation are the AMIGA version, if I download a copy of D/Generation, am I committing software piracy? I take pride in that I never pirate software, but I want to play this game again. Please advise.

Comments

  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    edited November 2017
    I wouldn't call it piracy if you own the game, but cannot play it anymore because of a busted CD/DVD ROM. Technically it might be, but I personally think itsa "false positive", so to speak... Not sure how them mods will judge this topic on their forums though :tongue:

    I'm just glad we finally opted for mostly digital distribution with PC games, for this very reason. I've also had some trouble with my BF1942, GTA 3/Vice/SA/4 and Company of Heroes CD/DVD. Probably some more and did the same thing by getting a noCD version. For BF1942, it had an official tool, to revalidate your CDKEY for online play. While running the ISO image from a virtual CDplayer


    However, do be careful and scan the shit out of the files with Spybot, Malwarebytes and your virusscanner at the very least and only download from "respected" uploaders
  • Sam_StarfallSam_Starfall Join Date: 2017-05-21 Member: 230665Members
    To be honest if the game have outlived its retail life I just consider it abandonware, most of my retro gaming concern company that have disappeared.
    Just make sure you scan any "alternative ISO" you get, and try to get it from website that are actually popular, not just the first to pretend it have the file.
  • phantomfinchphantomfinch West Philadelphia , born and raised on the playground is where I spent most of my days. Join Date: 2016-09-06 Member: 222128Members
  • EnglishInfidelEnglishInfidel Canada Join Date: 2016-07-04 Member: 219533Members
    Just because you once bought it and own it in one medium that doesn't give you the legal right to download it illegally in another medium altogether.
    That would be like buying Subnautica for the Xbox and downloading it illegally for the PC because hey, you already paid for it.

    But what you're talking about seems to be some obscure game that's probably available on some abandonware website. It's not on GOG, right? That's usually my first stop for old crap I want to play again.

    Having said that, I recently grabbed Desperados for the extortionate price of $15 when drunk and immediately wished I'd just pirated it. Morally, I'd have no qualms with it.
  • baronvonsatanbaronvonsatan TX, USA Join Date: 2016-12-01 Member: 224415Members
    If the game is old enough, you might be able to get it to run using DOSBOX.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    edited November 2017


    You do have a point @EnglishInfidel, but your scenario isn't applicable here. He's simply replacing his busted CD/DVD, not changing platform or content server like Steam/Origin. I mean if that were the case, he wouldn't have the need to replace his busted medium as it's all digital distribution ey
  • baronvonsatanbaronvonsatan TX, USA Join Date: 2016-12-01 Member: 224415Members
    I was under the impression that the issue was with Windows 10, not with the physical medium itself...
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    I was under the impression that the issue was with Windows 10, not with the physical medium itself...

    How so :D It says it right on the tin (OP)
  • baronvonsatanbaronvonsatan TX, USA Join Date: 2016-12-01 Member: 224415Members
    edited November 2017
    Is the issue that, the game's license having expired, Windows 10 won't allow the game to run now? Because as I read it, the CD was working fine under XP. What am I missing?
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    edited November 2017
    Is the issue that, the game's license having expired, Windows 10 won't allow the game to run now? Because as I read it, the CD was working fine under XP. What am I missing?

    "If you own a game on CD - ROM, but it doesn't work due to being too old"

    Makes me assume the CD itself is busted as in too scratched to read properly. I mean that is quite a common theme with these things.
  • baronvonsatanbaronvonsatan TX, USA Join Date: 2016-12-01 Member: 224415Members
    Kouji_San wrote: »
    Is the issue that, the game's license having expired, Windows 10 won't allow the game to run now? Because as I read it, the CD was working fine under XP. What am I missing?

    "If you own a game on CD - ROM, but it doesn't work due to being too old"

    Makes me assume the CD itself is busted as in too scratched to read properly. I mean that is quite a common theme with these things.

    Well... I mean, that really depends. I started my music collection on CD in the 1990s, and I've kept them all scratch-free.
  • phantomfinchphantomfinch West Philadelphia , born and raised on the playground is where I spent most of my days. Join Date: 2016-09-06 Member: 222128Members
    Just fucking pirate it and if the cops come tell them there was no other way.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    edited November 2017
    And then I read this

    "However, as I run Windows 10 now, it won't work"

    Soooooooo, dammit @kingkuma git in here and clarify it a bit. Is your CD itself busted or is it because Windows 10 doesn't support your game. I mean, if the CD is still working, but the game doesn't work with Windows 10. You actually don't have to pirate it at all, there are ways to emulate older stuff. Heck maybe even "compatibility mode" would work
    Kouji_San wrote: »
    Is the issue that, the game's license having expired, Windows 10 won't allow the game to run now? Because as I read it, the CD was working fine under XP. What am I missing?

    "If you own a game on CD - ROM, but it doesn't work due to being too old"

    Makes me assume the CD itself is busted as in too scratched to read properly. I mean that is quite a common theme with these things.

    Well... I mean, that really depends. I started my music collection on CD in the 1990s, and I've kept them all scratch-free.

    The thing is, audio CD's are somehow less susceptible to this from what I've seen, maybe it's the DPI density that's different for data vs audio track. The ones that are broken for me are scratch-free as well, however CDROM players can't read them at all anymore...
  • RecursionRecursion The cosmos Join Date: 2017-07-01 Member: 231505Members
    The way you should think about it is that you haven't bought the game, you've bought the right to play the game, and you can play it any way you want.
  • Sam_StarfallSam_Starfall Join Date: 2017-05-21 Member: 230665Members
    Wow careful there!
    Did you all buy the license for the right to express opinion or think by yourself? Did you make sure you bought the extension for those to apply (separately) on this specific part of the internet and the real world?
    Remembering a game or a movie is no different as having made an illegal copy of it in your brain.
    So DON'T STEAL and go buy the copy right, this will cover the overcost the publisher suffer to remove the arbitrary limiter keeping you from duplicating data on your hardware using electricity you pay for.


    Anyway, I just wanted an excuse to post this.

    (now that's scary)
  • 0x6A72320x6A7232 US Join Date: 2016-10-06 Member: 222906Members
    edited November 2017
    Good grief. First off, you own the CD, so you should be able to download an ISO (again, just be careful). Now that you've got the ISO, you should try and see if Win 10 will run it in compatibility mode. If not, you're probably going to have to try virtual machines -- what's the newest version of Windows the game was designed for? Now you've gotta download an ISO of that version of Windows (again with the copyright, but you've got a license for the newest version of Windows, and you're running it on that version of Windows, so, in reality, not like you're scamming MS of money, but *technically*, guilty as sin, praise be to our corporate overlords!). You'll need VT-d or AMD-V enabled, then just use, say, VirtualBox.

    Alternatively, see if you can find a version to purchase that runs on Windows 10.

    Scratch all that. Wait. Is this the game?

    If so, my man, all you need is DOSBox, and a good frontend to keep you from losing your mind like it's 1989. So, D-Fend Reloaded, or DBGL. Or both, and then get rid of the ones you don't like as much. I think most of the frontends come with DOSBox already, but if not, you can nab the latest DOSBox from their website here. There's also a list of Frontends here
  • kingkumakingkuma cancels Work: distracted by Dwarf Fortress Join Date: 2015-09-25 Member: 208137Members
    Kouji_San wrote: »
    And then I read this

    "However, as I run Windows 10 now, it won't work"

    Soooooooo, dammit @kingkuma git in here and clarify it a bit. Is your CD itself busted or is it because Windows 10 doesn't support your game. I mean, if the CD is still working, but the game doesn't work with Windows 10. You actually don't have to pirate it at all, there are ways to emulate older stuff. Heck maybe even "compatibility mode" would work
    Kouji_San wrote: »
    Is the issue that, the game's license having expired, Windows 10 won't allow the game to run now? Because as I read it, the CD was working fine under XP. What am I missing?

    "If you own a game on CD - ROM, but it doesn't work due to being too old"

    Makes me assume the CD itself is busted as in too scratched to read properly. I mean that is quite a common theme with these things.

    Well... I mean, that really depends. I started my music collection on CD in the 1990s, and I've kept them all scratch-free.

    The thing is, audio CD's are somehow less susceptible to this from what I've seen, maybe it's the DPI density that's different for data vs audio track. The ones that are broken for me are scratch-free as well, however CDROM players can't read them at all anymore...

    It's fine,it just can't run on the new os.
  • kingkumakingkuma cancels Work: distracted by Dwarf Fortress Join Date: 2015-09-25 Member: 208137Members
    Thanks guys, @0x6A7232, you found it.
  • 0x6A72320x6A7232 US Join Date: 2016-10-06 Member: 222906Members
    kingkuma wrote: »
    Thanks guys, @0x6A7232, you found it.

    @kingkuma DOSBox then. Don't forget the frontend, unless you like playing with a virtual DOS computer to manually enter all of the appropriate settings in the DOS command prompt. If anyone was wondering, yes, it's possible to put Windows 3.1 on DOSBox, but takes a little effort. Google it if you want to know how.
  • cdaragorncdaragorn Join Date: 2016-02-07 Member: 212685Members
    Just because you once bought it and own it in one medium that doesn't give you the legal right to download it illegally in another medium altogether.
    That would be like buying Subnautica for the Xbox and downloading it illegally for the PC because hey, you already paid for it.
    Just because the publisher wants to force you to buy the same game again doesn't mean the law actually requires it.
    This is called format shifting, and it's 100% legal under fair use in the US. I believe it's also legal under fair dealing in the UK, but there could be some differences there.
    The perception that copyright gives total control over the power to copy is utterly false and seriously needs to be shut down. Copyright is a trade off, not a right.
  • 0x6A72320x6A7232 US Join Date: 2016-10-06 Member: 222906Members
    Ironically, Copyright and Patent law's intended function used to be to foster creativity, by protecting new ideas and tech, before allowing for competition (basically, to reward new ideas and IP). 90% of Disnep story-lines were previously open to the public. Which is fine. But then they lobbied to get the laws changed to that their particular versions would remain theirs, instead of benefitting everyone. They don't want anyone else to enjoy the same benefits that they did.
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