On Fri, 6 Aug 1999, Blair, Keith (Keith Blair) wrote:
> > In all fairness, the folks running EmuQ
> > voluntarily shut the project down when it
> > was pointed out that a server emulator is
> > in effect "stealing" the artwork, models,
> > and textures on the EQ CD.
>
> I don't understand how someone making something that allows you to use
> something that you already own - is stealing. Now if it allowed you to play
You don't own it. You own the right to use it. Verant owns
all the code, art, maps, etc. Being the owners, they dictate
what right you have to use it. I don't see why so many of you
are having trouble understanding this. This falls under
international copyright law - with books you own the paper and
ink, with software you own the media. The original author(s)
owns the actual content. Some authors are lenient about
enforcing their copyright and let you use it as you wish,
others defend it vigorously.
> If the makers of Bleem (PSX Emulator) can legally make their emulator, which
> completely eliminates the need to purchase the hardware normally required
> for a PSX game, why can't someone make an emulator that allows you to
> locally use the product that you have purchased (that you are still required
> to purchase to use) when it doesn't eliminate the need for the EQ servers?
> Unless I don't fully understand what the EQ emulator did, it sounds to me
> like Bleem would be a precendent that would cause Verant to lose in court.
> PSX hardware and EQ servers - same thing, you still have to purchase the
> games.
I don't think so. With the PSX, Sony owned the hardware, not
the software. With EQ, Verant owns the hardware *and* the
software. If all the companies making PSX games decided
they were going to code it so it wouldn't work with emulators,
there wouldn't be a whole lot you could (legally) do to stop
them.
Let me put it this way: If the courts decide that you can
legally use the EQ graphics on the CD any way you want, do you
think any company would be stupid enough to invest the time
and money creating art for an online game when they know their
competitors could legally just rip it off to use in other
games?
--
John H. Kim
kim@...