Licensing an Abandonware Game?

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."

Comments

Re:Contact the Owners

[Interoperable]

I very much agree. If you want to remake the game I can only assume that you enjoy playing it and have some respect for the game. Show the original authors that respect and contact them; the game represents a great deal of effort on their part and deserves a dialog. From your description of the situation in you journal entry, the author would probably enjoy hearing of your interest and you could ask them what the position of the copyright holder is on the subject and discuss options.