SquallStrife wrote:ElectricMonk wrote:So even when I purchased games that came on 5-1/4" floppies, and have no access to another floppy drive, I'm not entitled to download that game I already own to play in Dosbox/ScummVM for nostalgia sake?
Yes. That's actually exactly right. You're not entitled at all. Just like you're not entitled to torrent TV episodes because you think the price of Cable/Satellite is too high, you're not entitled to torrent movies because your local cinema is getting it a few days/weeks after premiere, and you're not entitled to torrent DVD rips because your disk is scratched.
The only thing you're entitled to is the copy you bought in 1980-something. If you can't access that because you're unwilling to spend the money on appropriate hardware, then in the eyes of the law, tough titties.
That's not technically accurate...
When you buy a piece of software you're also buying a license to use said software. The license is what makes you legally able to use said software.
If you own a copy of the software, but can't run it due to hardware restrictions regarding the media itself, then downloading copies of the software from elsewhere is technically illegal, but using the copy you downloaded IS legal because you still have a license to use said software, and no one's ever going to have a fit over a technicality like that unless they're somewhat crazy or insane. :P
Many license agreements actually spell out permissions regarding backups. Typically the agreement states that license holders may keep a single backup for the purpose of restoring the state of the software should the original media fail, but the reason the notion of backups are in a license agreement at all are so that people can continue to use a piece of software and continue to enjoy using it so that when the company makes MORE software, the user will go out and buy it, knowing how good the company's software is. :B
The irony is that most licenses are non-transferable, meaning once you become the license holder for buying a piece of software, no one else is allowed to take possession of that license from you, thus if you want to get SUPER-ULTRA-RIDICULOUSLY-NO-ONE-WILL-EVER-CARE technical, it's illegal to use pre-used software being sold on eBay, in a used game store, even stuff a friend just casually gives you 'cause he doesn't want it anymore, because the license isn't supposed to transfer.
It's actually quite the mess when it comes down to it. It's a big part of the reason why I like Steam's approach of tying purchases to user accounts instead of specific computers, because it means the licenses work the way they're supposed to, allowing a user to always have access to the software regardless of anything... unless of course the software developer/publisher lays even MORE DRM on top of that which does computer-specific detection. :P
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