Amstrad Game downloads

[Nige Rideout]

hi there


just joined this forum, i have been into emulation for years especially ZX Spectrum


i have a question which i cant seem to find the answer too.


IS it ILLEGAL to download Amstrad CPC games

[Skunkfish]

Hi Nige,

Welcome to the forum!

There are plenty of games for the CPC that were released as freeware/public domain and you can download freely. There are also some commercial games that have since been released as freeware by their authors.

Regarding other commercial releases, yes it is technically illegal to download those games if you do not own the original version, although many of the software houses are no longer in business and even those that are do not proactively hunt down users (or even websites) for infringement of copyright.

This is the same as old games for the Spectrum though and other old formats, the CPC is no different in that respect.

[Lazy Dude]

Think it's also worth mentioning the fact that as the original games have done the money making bit decades ago, the fact that they are free to download now helps keep scammers from trying to cash in on flogging dodgy copies on the internet. You can still go on ebay and pay for a dvd disc loaded with old games, money for old rope as we say, and the original developer sees nowt for it.

Also as has been mentioned elsewhere, it is a form of digital preservation, as old originals may corrupt or expire in time.

[AMSDOS]

In some regards it's the Free Software which isn't getting out there due to Copyright, because some program was published in some really old Computer magazine is subjected to Copyright.

[Nige Rideout]

thanks for the response, could anybody point me in the right direction for some public domain / free games?

[EgoTrip]

CPC-POWER, sauvegarde du patrimoine de l'Amstrad CPC is your best bet. Click on Softwares, the in the Publisher list box at the bottom of that list you can select Public Domain, then hit search.

[Gryzor]

CPC-POWER, sauvegarde du patrimoine de l'Amstrad CPC is your best bet. Click on Softwares, the in the Publisher list box at the bottom of that list you can select Public Domain, then hit search.

Man, just as a courtesy you could point him to the Downloads section right here

[CraigsBar]

Man, just as a courtesy you could point him to the Downloads section right here

[emoji38]

[Nige Rideout]

thanks very much, so all the games in the download section here are legal to download

[TFM]

thanks very much, so all the games in the download section here are legal to download

Are you a police man? A lawyer?

[reidrac]

May be he's asking because he wants to redistribute the games legally (?).

[TFM]

May be he's asking because he wants to redistribute the games legally (?).

He told that he did a lot with speccy games - where is the difference?

[ivarf]

It's illegal to download a lot of Spectrum software because someone at World of Sinclair decided to ask "do you allow your games to be available for download"

[andycadley]

It's illegal to download a lot of Spectrum software because someone at World of Sinclair decided to ask "do you allow your games to be available for download"

Not actually correct, though a common misconception.

Unless you actively have permission to distribute from every copyright holder for each title (it can get really messy with licensed titles) it's technically illegal.

WoS makes a point of asking owners where they can be found and respecting their wishes. Many will argue that's foolish, because it inevitably results in more refusals than if you never asked (the default response is always likely to be no) however it has earned a lot of respect from some publishers as a result (and reversed a few bulk takedown orders)

[Audronic]

thanks very much, so all the games in the download section here are legal to download

YOU Will have to evaluate EACH TITTLE to see if the they are PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Ray

[robcfg]

Thing is, it should be the copyright owners the ones that should exercise their rights. Come on, it's THEIR right and THEY shall use it or not.


I also hate that these matters cannot be talked  in a rational way. I mean, suppose you are Mr X, from company Y and wouldn't like to see your game downloadable here, the only thing you have to do is send a PM or email to gryzor and ask for it, end of the story. When you bring your lawyers and ask for a ton of money for something nobody's talked about in 30 years, you are abusing your rights and you should lose them.


The sad part is that the shitty and abusive copyright laws are destroying our history and in some years there will be nothing left. Mark my words.

[Lazy Dude]

Yet all legal for someone to sell a copy of say Prince of Persia on ebay for £150 ..... wheres the justice!

[TFM]

Yet all legal for someone to sell a copy of say Prince of Persia on ebay for £150 ..... wheres the justice!

Well, if software companies don't keep a bit of their stock and sell it by themselves later...

[Lazy Dude]

What like 30 years later?  really!

[TFM]

What like 30 years later?  really!

Well, if you think that this is silly, why to complain if others do? 

[angelcaio]

and here's another, also good:  http://cpcrulez.fr
For search games: http://cpcrulez.fr/games.htm


Enviado desde mi iPad utilizando Tapatalk

[TotO]

With all my respect for cpcwiki (great for his wiki) and cpcrulez (for his archives), cpc-power is the place for media preservation. 

[TFM]

With all my respect for cpcwiki (great for his wiki) and cpcrulez (for his archives), cpc-power is the place for media preservation. 

With all respect: NO! They refuse to conserve certain DSKs for CPC. As long they do that, forget it.

[CraigsBar]

With all respect: NO! They refuse to conserve certain DSKs for CPC. As long they do that, forget it.

Gosh. Out of interest which are they "refusing" to conserve? Seems odd that?

[AMSDOS]

Gosh. Out of interest which are they "refusing" to conserve? Seems odd that?

I'm assuming @TFM is referring to Cyber Chicken.