---- Double post --- MEH!

I was referring to Stardock products, and I definately don't think they are garbage

Heman, the first 3 scenarios would probably not fall under abandonware, but more as of GPL or GNU licenced, as the Copyright owners gave the general public free reign to that specific item. * providing the public follow the terms of GPL or GNU licence provisions* thus being free for all to use and enjoy.

In the last case, "True Abandonware" where the company closed it's doors without releasing the item. It would still be held under Copyright. Those copyrights could possibly be held or maintained by the Bankruptcy courts, until they are "if at all" distributed to the creditors to who the orginating company owed Funds too. They can also be sold off by auction if they are deemed valuable and worth a monetary value. The funds from the sale would then be distributed amongst the creditors. This all depending on the courts decisions.

As for Trash.. Trash is knowingly thrown away, there for it would fall under abandonment, as you willingly tossed it away. But it could also be argued if the trash was placed in to a recepticle, the owner of said recepticle would be the owner of the trash. * possibly including "Intentional transfer of ownership" if the owner of the recepticle is not the same as the original owner of the deposited trash. California has private refuse companies Who own the recepticles, once trash is placed in them, technically the ownership and responsibility of disposal falls on the owning company.

Also for those who think a person breaks a law or can be classified a criminal only when caught.  The minute you Break a law wether it is known by law offocials or not, you have violated a law. While technically one is Deemed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law In the US, If you know you broke the law, you are still guilty of a criminal act. Even if it never comes to light. If you tell a lie, is it still not a lie even if never discovered?

We all have a bit of larceny in us, it's human. It's up to us and our moral fibre to decide for ourselves what is "our acceptible level". While Society will judge people when caught, their consciences will judge them when not.

Sorry heman, for the spelling error

Contra Hard Corps is all I've played, and that was either for megadrive, or SNS

Edit: I found some Contra.. and hehe, it's so-called abandonware, and it's up to you.. I'd rather get a secondhand console and get a copy of the game I've been guilty of using emulators and roms, many times actually, years ago, but not anymore, the real thing is better, and guilt-free

my appologies heman, as it is 4:00 am here, I mis read it. * it has been corrected*

While wikipedia may have a list of types popularly referd to as "Abandonware" if a company or private party holds copyrights and has not relinquished them to the public for free consumption, they are technically not "abandoned" tho they may be discontinued or unsupported. The owner of the copyrights still has the right to sue any and all distributors of the software if they choose.

They have mixed abandonware* software which has been left for dead and offered off to the public for free use* and shelved ware * that which has been dropped development but the Copyrights are still maintained by the owner.

I realize they are loosely grouping the two types together which some use to state "since it is abandoned it's free game" but really if the owners wanted to they could go after those distributing the items.

Lets put it in other terms. You own a car lot and manufacture cars. but decide not to build last years model and only offer this years. but someone buys last years model from some where, and starts building exact replicas. Claiming you abandoned the body style and stuff since you stopped making it. Does that make it abandonware? No, as the copyright holder of that body style and model you have the right to not have others take your work/design/etc. wether you wish to continue to develop them or not and use them for thier own purposes without your concent.