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Licensing an Abandonware Game?

Posted by Soulskill on from the rolling-the-dice dept.

WolverineOfLove writes "I'm recreating a 1980s abandonware game with copyrights that have been seemingly unused for the past 18 years. The situation is detailed further in a Slashdot journal entry I just wrote, but in short: Is it worth dealing with all the copyrights and paying money if I want to recreate an abandonware title as an open source game? I know there are legal implications to certain decisions I might make, but there is a real possibility that this game's copyright holder will do nothing with the rights, and I'd much prefer preserving it for others than letting it fade away."

3 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. Contact the Owners by Pikoro · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Contact the owners and ask them if they mind. You might be surprised.

    --
    "Freedom in the USA is not the ability to do what you want. It is the ability to stop others from doing what THEY want"
  2. Forget about the copyright by MichaelSmith · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Make your new game. Don't use any exact names or words from the original. By all means select your names so that people know this is a successor to the original.

    After all, open office exists along side microsoft office. Afterstep came after nextstep. You need a name like "afterstep" so that people know what you are on about.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  3. Talk to people who have done it before by C4st13v4n14 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    These guys have done exactly what you're aiming to do. You should probably get on their forums and talk to them for some insight. You should also check out their remake, it's a really good game! Warzone 2100