why?

Well, I can't really think of a good reason other than curiosity really... but still, I would like to know. 😦

I do not think that there are any copyright problems in DOSBOX. You can sleep well, you will not go to prison for this ... (Rather for those pirated games you have at home 😀 😀 😀 ).

The only potentiall problem with copyright is in MT-32 support - therefore it was not integrated to standard DOSBOX.

Mirek

Has there been any attempts to get permission from mt-32 people to be able to use it in dosbox?

unluckily yes... 🙁
otherwise noone would even noticed...

@icemann: See Mt-32 forum. CANADACOW tried to get permission from Roland. The currrent situation is such that MT-32 emulator is allowed (but they reserve right to change their opinion - they argue it infringes their copyright, but they cannot find the proper documents at the moment).
I am not sure whether the above mentioned includes ROM - in any case to be on safe side ROM is not provided here (get it where you can 😀 ).

The lesson to be remembered for future: Honesty does NOT always pays off. Do not ask and you will not get bad answers. My guess is that Roland would not have even noticed it otherwise or they would ignore it (as it is with many other emulators). But when they were asked, they had to express opinion. And it was not very favourable.

Mirek

I believe that my demonstration of good faith by bringing the issue to light probably worked out in the long run. If I hadn't attempted to obtain Roland's blessing, if for some reason they decided to sue, they would have an easier time trying to prove I was consciencously infriging. Because I made a good faith effort to research the copyrighted status to of the ROM, the worst they could consider me as is an innocent infringer (assuming the ROM were in fact copyrighted).

And of course canadacow expected some support in developement. At least he knows that he is on his own now and doesn't have to wonder whether to ask them for support or not... 🙁

So would it be legally dubious in any way if canadacow's MT-32 emulation was integrated into regular DOSBox, without including the ROM file? The emulation code itself isn't infringing, right?

No, I don't have any pirated games. 😜

I guess the reason why I was worried about DosBOX possibly being a copyright infringement is because it's interface is similair to MSDOS's. 😖

But, I guess this is somehow not an issue and DOSBOX still isn't an infringement, correct? 😁

it's simaliar to dos in general not specificly msdos.

some more proggies with interface simmilar to msdos's:
http://www.undercoverdesign.com/dosghost/dos/dosw31.asp
😉