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Enthusiast posts source code for 13 Atari classics...legally?
Rather, it's a result of the trashcan rescue efforts of an Atari enthusiast. As he points out beneath the download links, "these wouldn't exist if I hadn't of climbed into a filthy dumpster at 3am in the morning behind the old Atari building in Sunnyvale and salvaged them and restored them from their diskettes."
Unfortunately, just because Atari threw out the disks and they became public property as a result that doesn't mean the source code contained on them is up for grabs. As a commenter on Slashdot points out, an author can throw out a copy of his or her own book without forfeiting the copyright.
Either way, it only matters if Atari decides it does. There's plenty of money to be made porting classic games to more modern platforms like the iPhone, Wii, and just about every other device with a few extra ounces of processing power.
Is a takedown notice forthcoming? We'll probably find out soon. With the noise on Slashdot and coverage elsewhere, Atari has no doubt heard about this already.
[via Programmer Fish]
Comments
5
Subscribe to commentsJames B.Jul 6th 2009 4:17PM
Yeah, because modern ports use code that was written twenty years ago...
(And writing a Pac Man clone from scratch is just SO difficult without copying the original)
MarkJul 7th 2009 5:59AM
If you want an authentic port that takes very little time and money to release then yes, you most certainly do. Doesn't mean the code isn't cleaned up or optimized for the new platform. Regardless that has nothing to do with whether it's still their intellectual property or not, and under current copyright law it is. The question will be whether they care to go to the trouble of having it taken down, which at this point would be futile since it will be all over the internet now.
sRcJul 6th 2009 7:24PM
doesnt that article indicate that Atari has officially made a statement on it?
"In an official release, Atari has quoted that the purpose of the release is to give potential developers insight into the Atari’s gaming platform so they may possibly build upon the 7800 series. "
Lee MathewsJul 6th 2009 7:24PM
The PF post claims as much, though the source says differently. Also, PF chose not to link to the "official statement."
As they say, "Pics or it didn't happen."
notnamedJul 8th 2009 9:49AM
Throwing something away does -not- make it public property. Dumpster diving is illegal. I've had to dodge cops doing it multiple times in the past.