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--- freely_available_systems [2013/09/07 16:30]
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+++ freely_available_systems [2019/05/28 21:50] (current)
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 ====== Freely Available Systems ======
-The following systems supported by MESS have had permission granted by their respective copyright owners for free distribution of the system ROMs (and sometimes other software as well). Note that such permission generally does not extend to third-party software or add-ons, and usually still prohibits commercial use (which is also prohibited by the [[http://mamedev.org/legal.html|MESS license]]). Please read the individual permission letters for specifics and consult an actual lawyer before relying on anything.
+The following systems supported by MESS have had permission granted by their respective copyright owners for free distribution of the system ROMs (and sometimes other software as well). Note that such permission generally does not extend to third-party software or add-ons, and usually still prohibits commercial use. Please read the individual permission letters for specifics and consult an actual lawyer before relying on anything.
 ===== Amstrad / Sinclar =====
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 Hi,
-Andrew Owen sent me the following email about the Spectrum ROMs and said it was being discussed on c.s.s but I can't see the
+Andrew Owen sent me the following email about the Spectrum ROMs and said it was being discussed on
-relevant thread (I have a totally crap newsfeed - Psinet - who only carry about half the traffic!!). So, anyway, here's my reply about
+c.s.s but I can't see the relevant thread (I have a totally crap newsfeed - Psinet - who only carry
-these issues:
+about half the traffic!!). So, anyway, here's my reply about these issues:
-"I know you have answered the question of Amstrad's policy on the use of the Spectrum ROMs before but the debate has come up
+"I know you have answered the question of Amstrad's policy on the use of the Spectrum ROMs before but
-again on comp.sys.sinclair and as much as I tell people what I believe it is, they want a definitive answer. So when you have time here
+the debate has come up again on comp.sys.sinclair and as much as I tell people what I believe it is,
-are the questions. Thanks!
+they want a definitive answer. So when you have time here are the questions. Thanks!
 ) What exactly do you have to do to use Sinclair ROMs in an emulator, such as acknowledgements etc?"
-Amstrad are happy for emulator writers to include images of our copyrighted code as long as the (c)opyright messages are not altered
+Amstrad are happy for emulator writers to include images of our copyrighted code as long as the
-and we appreciate it if the program/manual includes a note to the effect that "Amstrad have kindly given their permission for the
+(c)opyright messages are not altered and we appreciate it if the program/manual includes a note to the
-redistribution of their copyrighted material but retain that copyright".
+effect that "Amstrad have kindly given their permission for the redistribution of their copyrighted
+material but retain that copyright".
 "2) Can you charge a shareware fee for an emulator that uses the Sinclair ROMs?"
-No. No one should be charging for the ROM code because (as a result of the point above) there are loads of freely available images
+No. No one should be charging for the ROM code because (as a result of the point above) there are
-anyway. If I ever thought someone was charging for the ROM images then I'd make them available as a free download on the
+loads of freely available images anyway. If I ever thought someone was charging for the ROM images
-www.amstrad.com web site. Naturally I imagine that some emulator writers want to charge a shareware fee for the code they have
+then I'd make them available as a free download on the www.amstrad.com web site. Naturally I imagine
-written and we have absolutely no problem with that as long as they aren't, in any sense, charging for the parts of the code that are
+that some emulator writers want to charge a shareware fee for the code they have written and we have
-(c)Amstrad and (c) Sinclair.
+absolutely no problem with that as long as they aren't, in any sense, charging for the parts of the
+code that are (c)Amstrad and (c) Sinclair.
-"3) Can you modify the ROMs, for instance to enable tape loading and saving, and if so what are the requirements?"
+"3) Can you modify the ROMs, for instance to enable tape loading and saving, and if so what are the
+requirements?"
-The ROM code is simply a tool to let the emulator writers make a program that works as close to the original machine as possible. If
+The ROM code is simply a tool to let the emulator writers make a program that works as close to the
-they choose to modify the behaviour in any way then that's entirely up to them (I guess you could say that that is exactly what an
+original machine as possible. If they choose to modify the behaviour in any way then that's entirely
-emulator IS doing (ie modifying the screen output and keyboard input to go via the PC bits)!!)
+up to them (I guess you could say that that is exactly what an emulator IS doing (ie modifying the
+screen output and keyboard input to go via the PC bits)!!)
 "4) Can you distribute modified ROMs?"
@@ Line 50: / Line 54: @@
 If you like (with that (c) proviso).
-"5) Does this apply to all ROMs, Interface 1+2, ZX80, ZX81, Spectrum 48, 128,
+"5) Does this apply to all ROMs, Interface 1+2, ZX80, ZX81, Spectrum 48, 128, +2, +2A and +3."
-+2, +2A and +3."
-I think Amstrad only bought the rights to Spectrum 48/128 from Sinclair and then produced the + machines ourselves. I do not believe
+I think Amstrad only bought the rights to Spectrum 48/128 from Sinclair and then produced the
-the (c) for ZXs or IF1/2 has anything to do with Amstrad.
++ machines ourselves. I do not believe the (c) for ZXs or IF1/2 has anything to do with Amstrad.
 "6) Does Amstrad own the rights to the QL as well?"
-Someone asked me this before and I think our lawyer at  that time said that we may have had the rights to the QL stuff but then sold it
+Someone asked me this before and I think our lawyer at that time said that we may have had the
-on to someone else but I haven't a clue who.
+rights to the QL stuff but then sold it on to someone else but I haven't a clue who.
-"7) What is the legal position with regard to distributing ROMs from legal Spectrum clones such as the Timex 2048?"
+"7) What is the legal position with regard to distributing ROMs from legal Spectrum clones such as
+the Timex 2048?"
-Ask Timex. We only hold the copyright for code that was written by Sinclair or Amstrad for the Spectrum machines. I haven't a clue
+Ask Timex. We only hold the copyright for code that was written by Sinclair or Amstrad for the
-about the Timex deal as it was done in the days before Amstrad were ever involved.
+Spectrum machines. I haven't a clue about the Timex deal as it was done in the days before Amstrad
+were ever involved.
-"8) What is the legal position with regard to distributing ROMs from illegal Spectrum clones such as the Russian Scorpion and
+"8) What is the legal position with regard to distributing ROMs from illegal Spectrum clones such as
-Pentagon machines?"
+the Russian Scorpion and Pentagon machines?"
-Anyone pirating hardware/software should be shot.... though that may be to quick a death for them. Perhaps nailing them up by the
+Anyone pirating hardware/software should be shot.... though that may be to quick a death for them.
-testicles using rusty nails would be the best thing to do to them?
+Perhaps nailing them up by the testicles using rusty nails would be the best thing to do to them?
 "9) Is Amstrad happy for software owned by Sinclair to be distributed in a similar way?"
-I think that the majority of software, even that 10/12 game pack bundled with + machines remains the copyrighted property of its
+I think that the majority of software, even that 10/12 game pack bundled with + machines remains
-authors (Ocean etc.). Amstrad/Sincliar merely acted as a publishing house but I don't think that gave us the copyright to it,  just an
+the copyrighted property of its authors (Ocean etc.). Amstrad/Sincliar merely acted as a publishing
-agreed licence to make copies IYSWIM.
+house but I don't think that gave us the copyright to it,  just an agreed licence to make copies
+IYSWIM.
 "10) What is Amstrad's policy on the distribution of electronic versions of Sinclair documentation?"
-The more the merrier. People scanning, OCRing, HTMLing & PDFing any manuals that are genuinely (c)Amstrad are actually doing
+The more the merrier. People scanning, OCRing, HTMLing & PDFing any manuals that are genuinely
-us a favour because if someone asks for a copy we can just point them at a URL (please keep me informed!! ;-). So we'd welcome as
+(c)Amstrad are actually doing us a favour because if someone asks for a copy we can just point them
-many of them to be put online as possible if people can take out the time and trouble to do it.
+at a URL (please keep me informed!! ;-). So we'd welcome as many of them to be put online as possible
+if people can take out the time and trouble to do it.
-"I sincerly hope this is the last time you will be bothered with such questions. Thank you again for your time."
+"I sincerly hope this is the last time you will be bothered with such questions. Thank you again for
+your time."
-Your welcome. It's good to have the opportunity to make our position on this clear and I've cross-posted this to c.s.a.8 because it
+Your welcome. It's good to have the opportunity to make our position on this clear and I've cross-
-applies equally well to all the CPC stuff (though some bits of that are also (c)Locomotive so you need to seek their permission too -
+posted this to c.s.a.8 because it applies equally well to all the CPC stuff (though some bits of that
-however I don't think there's ever a problem in so doing).
+are also (c)Locomotive so you need to seek their permission too - however I don't think there's ever
+a problem in so doing).
 Cliff Lawson,
@@ Line 249: / Line 258: @@
 </file>
+----
+====== PENDING ======
+===== Myarc Geneve 9640 =====
+According to Michael Zapf, everything belonging to the Geneve 9640 (Boot EPROM and Geneve OS) Myarc Inc. transferred all rights to a third party by a buy-out in the nineties and these current active maintainers gave their consent to redistribution.
+===== Psion 2 Organiser and others =====
+The [[http://web.archive.org/web/19990427201447/http://users.aol.com/psionorg/index.htm|Psion 2 Organiser Emulator (ORG2.EXE)]] published by Paul Robson circa 1998 came with a statement in the READ.ME file which stated about the included ROMs that "These Psion 2 Organiser ROM Images are distributed by kind permission of Psion Computers Ltd. Please do not include copies of these images on your own site. Copyright of these ROMs is retained."
+We have already asked Paul Robson who he had emailed to obtain this permission, but his email records do not date back that far. However, he verified that he had emailed someone within Psion Computers Ltd. and they did not see anything wrong with distribution but did not release them as public domain.
+Intellectual property rights of Psion Computers Ltd. these days are, we believe, in the hands of Motorola.
+===== Texas Instruments TI-99/4A and TI-99/8 =====
+Supposedly Texas Instruments can grant websites permission to distribute TI-99/4A BIOS ROMs, cartridges, other first-party software, and even manual scans for personal use (at least) though definitely not extending to the third-parties that also made software for the TI-99/4A.
+Example:
+[[https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ti99-4a/conversations/messages/4682]]
+regarding: [[http://www.99er.net/wwwboard1/messages/685.html]]
+<file>
+For those titles that TI owns the copyright in,
+TI does not object to your distribution. If the software title
+contains a copyright statement indicating TI copyright ownership
+you may be able to assume TI ownership.
+...
+Regards,
+Herbert W. Foster
+E&PS Business Services
+</file>
+However, it is believed there is an even older permission granted somewhere, included with one of the early TI-99 emulators as a included document, perhaps.
+Other TI-99/4A emulator authors supposedly with permission include [[http://www.harmlesslion.com/cgi-bin/onesoft.cgi?10|Classic99]] ([[http://www.harmlesslion.com/HLsup/viewtopic.php?p=341#p341|See the author's explanation here]]) and also [[http://www.cadd99.com|PC99]] (who actually sells them all on a DVD with other associated documentation).
+Furthermore, Texas Instruments granted permission to distribute TI-99/8 ROMs to this guy:
+[[https://groups.google.com/d/topic/comp.sys.ti/SQ0CkVK9IOw/discussion]]
+<file>
+TI is pleased to grant you permission to copy and distribute any TI
+copyrighted program written specifically for the TI-99/8 home
+computer, including the ROM for the console. This permission is
+conditioned upon your agreement not to alter the copyright notice in
+the program and to include the copyright notice with each copy you
+make and distribute. This permission does not apply to any program
+bearing the copyright notice of any party other than TI. You agree
+to include a separate notice with each copy you distribute that such
+distribution is made under license from Texas Instruments.
+TI makes no warranty with respect to the program and is under no
+obligation to provide any support or assistance with respect to the
+programs. TI is under no obligation to provide upgrades to the
+programs.
+TI accepts no liability with respect to your use, coping or
+distribution of the programs.
+Regards,
+Herbert W. Foster
+Manager, E&PS Business Services
+</file>
+Also, [[http://www.99er.net|99er.net]] has permission to distribute scans of TI-99/4A manuals: [[http://www.99er.net/files/TIpermission.pdf]]
+<file>
+From: Abbott, Fred
+Sent: Monday, September 27, 1999 5:46 PM
+Subject: Putting 99/4A info on Web Site
+I just got the word back that your putting obsolete manuals on your
+web site would not be a problem for us.
+Fred Abbott
+-800-842-2737
+</file>
+However, in the past Texas Instruments has also sent cease-and-desist letters and/or DMCA takedown notices regarding their graphing calculator ROMs and signing keys, so this does not extend to other intellectual property of theirs.
+In addition, it should be noted that with regards to the distribution of Texas Instruments TI-99/4A ROMs, software or manuals, we still need to contact them and ask for permission to distribute them. We cannot take someone else's permission (Classic99's, PC99's) as our own.
+Finally, this permission (if granted) only covers the ROMs and software and manuals that Texas Instruments holds under copyright for the TI-99/4A and TI-99/8. This does not extend to third-party software for these platforms, although it is believed that a few third-party publishers also stepped forward over the years to offer permission to distribute their software freely as well (which requires further investigation).
+It appears the department to talk to regarding permission is TI's Educational & Productivity Solutions Division, Business Services department.
+It's unknown if Herbert W. Foster is still there. According to the DMCA takedown notices of 2009-2010, he was still with them then. We could try contacting:
+> Texas Instruments Incorporated
+> Herbert W. Foster
+> Manager, Business Services
+> Education Technology Group
+> (972) 917-1522
+> h-foster@...
+That said, if that does not work, we would instead need to drill through their customer support:
+[[http://education.ti.com/en/us/customer-support/support_contact]]

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