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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 1542230" data-attributes="member: 143">The MAME example is a good one, I think, and the issue of "abandonware" is linked to the concept of copyright in my mind.  Wizardru mentioned "rights holders".  I wonder how many (if any) of the holders of these rights are in any way related to the people who initially created these games.  I know that many companies sit on copyrighted material for long periods of time, in the hopes that someday something will become profitable.  At what point, if ever, does the interest by the public in having this IP available for general use outweigh the potential earnings of this company in exploiting this product? My personal view should be clear from my earlier posts, but I suspect many of you will disagree. As for the demand curve that Sigil mentioned, this is exactly what happens in game software distribution.  It's almost predictable now when a game comes out, how the price curve will develop (I'm picking dates out of my ear, just my overall impression in a general sense):Initial release: $50 (with some stores offering a special for $40-45 to lure in customers)Six months later: $40Year after release: $20-30 (depending on how well it does over time)Eighteen months+ after release: cheap rack for $10-15, jewel case release and/or bundle at some point thereafter.Three years+ after release: out of print, harder to find (not all titles, of course)I don't have sales figures but I'm guessing that they get new customers at each price point, who weren't willing to buy the product at the higher price. I have no ethical qualms about using 20 year-old MAME roms or dl-ing abandonware (I know we can debate just what this term means) from the underdogs.  Again, I know others will strongly disagree and argue that I am cheating the creators out of their money.  I just don't agree, sorry.</blockquote>

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