Date   : Wed, 16 Mar 2005 21:26:14 -0000
From   : "Jeremy Grayson" <jeremy.grayson@...>
Subject: Re: Beebem question / game copyright question

> I can recall getting numerous threatening letters from companies
> which subsequently purchased / bought out / took over Gremlin Graphics.
> Martijn Van De Heide from the Spectrum software archive "World of
Spectrum"
> still gets requests from companies to remove their games from his
archive -
> Codemasters being one.  And this was a company that made it's name (and
> money) on the Spectrum.
>
> The lawyers for the TV programme and/or channel will scrutinise the
> arrangement very closely.  If a company can get money from one of their
> products - be it a game written over twenty five years ago - and getting
it
> through legal action, they'll do it.  They're not like us 'normal' people.
>
> Andy.


Absolutely. We put copies of Granny's Garden and Flowers of Crystal on the
BBC Games Archive website many years ago. Cue one brisk but polite reminder
from Mike Matson of 4-Mation that he was still selling the games across a
range of formats (from BBC to PC), and they were taken off again
immediately, never to return, to prevent any escalation of trouble. I got
asked by numerous people during CG Expo UK last year whether we could do a
quick rip-off of the disk of Granny's Garden we'd brought with us and not
say anything to anyone, but had to decline. The Stairway to Hell even has a
top level thread on its message board warning people off requesting 4-Mation
titles.

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)


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