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Slartibartfast
Account closed
Registered: Jul 2002
Posts: 230 |
** Link removed by CSDb staff due to copyright. Please do not provide download links to this **
Well, there has been a few of these notices today, on certain Protovision releases that have been cracked and released by some people on CSDb.
Cracking has always been a large part of the scene, arguably the biggest and also what has ultimately ensured the scene to exist today.
If it weren't for cracking, piracy if you will, many games simply wouldn't be available on the web today. The C64dtv wouldn't have much of a lineup, all the games on it were cracks from the scene.
Now this issue has come to CSDb again, over old releases of Protovision games. Download links removed, to files which are definitely a part of the scene.
I can understand the policy on this, it's a way to protect CSDb against legal action. Other sites, for instance GB64, have tackled this by not hosting the files and just providing links to them.
But CSDb won't allow even that, if someone has an issue with their copyrighted work being available, the links will be removed. Even links provided by the user in their comment to the entry, will be censored and removed.
There is nothing regarding this policy in the CSDb FAQ, yet there is this disclaimer:
"Who's responsible for this?
We cannot take responsibility for the content of this database as all information is submitted by users."
So, that says straight out that CSDb is not responsible for the content.
It can be said that this is a way to protect CSDb in future, but from whom exactly? Can anyone honestly see Chronosoft or Protovision sueing anyone? Or if this is a measure to protect CSDb, could it go further and remove all cracks from the site?
On the other hand, CSDb are just trying to protect themselves, from Protovision apparently. Should we take the old debate over piracy directly to Protovision? As sceners themselves, they should know better than to be taking on this issue against sceners. Don't we all know by now that the people who would download these cracks, are not the same people that would buy it? That some of the people that get the game for free may even consider buying it at a later point?
One of the Protovision founders was a cracker himself, other members have been crackers, swappers or undoubtedly recipients of pirated software themselves.
This seemed to start with Macgyver altering a release of a PTV game here yesterday. A member of Protovision and also a CSDb admin. He was a swapper in the past.
Is this censorship really necessary? Do Protovision really think they would lose sales of these games, does CSDb really think there is any threat of legalities from an admin of this site?
This is an issue that strikes deep with many in the scene, and this site is an essential part of the scene today.
Surely there must be a better way to deal with this.
So let's discuss it here rather than in comments on these censored releases ;) |
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Puterman
Account closed
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 188 |
Quote: then he can also stop (ab)using his ability to see the identity of anonymous voters
And then again, maybe _everyone_ should have that ability. Woops, wrong discussion. :) |
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Street Tuff
Registered: Feb 2002
Posts: 88 |
fullack hollowman!
mac guyver asked me some weeks ago why i downvoted him
on the csdb. i wasn't aware of the fact, that he is an
admin of the database. my votes are non-public and he
really pissed me off that day!
greetz
street tuff |
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Jazzcat
Registered: Feb 2002
Posts: 1044 |
MacGyver has been viewing who anonymous voters are???
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TDJ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 1879 |
Quote: And then again, maybe _everyone_ should have that ability. Woops, wrong discussion. :)
Maybe everybody should be admin here, that would really rock! |
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Scout
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 1570 |
Quote: MacGyver has been viewing who anonymous voters are???
Yup!
Now he actually deserves an anti-demo.
-= Silicon Ltd. =-
http://www.deco-design.com/scl |
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TDJ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 1879 |
Quote: Yup!
Now he actually deserves an anti-demo.
-= Silicon Ltd. =-
http://www.deco-design.com/scl
Too bad you're too lazy to code one ;) |
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Scout
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 1570 |
Quote: Too bad you're too lazy to code one ;)
Wooops! Wrong discussion! :)
-= Silicon Ltd. =-
http://www.deco-design.com/scl |
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Seven
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 202 |
I have no problem with MacGyver being removed, never quite understood what's his claim to fame is anyway.
This, however, doesn't change that in my opinion we're all a little bit better off and on the safe side without links to illegal content, especially since this database IS open to public and there's no telling if the next MacGyver, who happens not to be promoted to admin status, won't take legal steps to ensure his games won't be downloaded. |
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Mermaid
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 338 |
Quote: Maybe everybody should be admin here, that would really rock!
or maybe everyone should have their own database, that way Jazzcat (hi mate) could add all the cracks he wanted and we could all be at #1 in the charts without having to downvote anonymously (oops wrong discussion) |
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H.O
Account closed
Registered: Oct 2002
Posts: 70 |
I can understand if CSDb doesnt want to host files where there might still be copyright issues, but as long as the file is related to the c64 scene, I see no problem with providing links.
After all, this is a scene database, and the scene is built on cracking. The demo-scene is based on the cracking scene, and while cracking today is more of a nostalgic (and/or quality) project, there can be no doubt that the c64 scene once was built on cracking.
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