Intellectual Property Rights and Patenting

[Aphra K]

Hi all,

Just found this…EI have an intellectual property assistance scheme. I wonder how this applies in the digital media area…

http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/services-details.asp?section=industry&subsection=industry-universities&id=53

Has anyone been involved in this scheme?

Aphra.

[Aphra K]

The following was just forwarded to me by a colleague in DCU..any legal brains out there to work out the implications?..

Aphra

**************
Apparently, it is now legal under American law to circumvent copy protection if the software is considered obsolete:

On October 28, 2003, the Librarian of Congress, on the recommendation of the Register of Copyrights, announced the classes of works, subject to the exemption from the prohibition against circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works.

The four classes of works exempted are:
[…]
(3) Computer programs and video games distributed in formats that have become obsolete and which require the original media or hardware as a condition of access. A format shall be considered obsolete if the machine or system necessary to render perceptible a work stored in that format is no longer manufactured or is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace.

[Anonymous]

Hi Aphra,

> Computer programs and video games distributed in formats that have become obsolete and which require the original media or hardware as a condition of access.

> to work out the implications?

This would be for old “retro” games, such as ancient arcade games, and yesterdays computers ( Commodore, Spectrum etc ), where the original hardware is not produced commercially anymore.

For arcade unit games, check out http://www.mame.net

Games distributed on disk, CD’s, DVD’s etc are going to be pretty safe for a few years yet! :)

Mal

[Author]

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