Subject: RE: [stella] 7800 programs -- potential problems? From: slapdash@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Russ Perry Jr) Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 00:14:27 -0600 |
At 2:11 AM 01/18/0, John Saeger wrote: >Russ Perry Jr wrote: >> Look for a copyright string around $0AA0 in PICKLOCK. >Yep, there's a copyright message there all right. But, it says copyright >Atari, not Harry Dodgson or Video 61. Yeah, I verified that today. Thanks for checking too. It looks like we're out of trouble with Video61. Too cool. >The following games also have back doors: Verified? Or assumed? >Food Fight >Galaga >Joust And why would these have back doors if they're Atari games? >if somebody buys a Joust cart from O'Sheas, pinches a few KB of code to >get the encryption key passed and the startup vectors, and then replaces >the Joust game code with their own game code, solders a new EPROM into >the cart and ships it, buying a fresh copy of Joust for every game of >their own that they ship, maybe that's O.K. to do. Ha ha! I strongly doubt the courts would see it that way, but it's a funny example and would have a judge scratching his head for a while. After all, every copy is paid for; the author makes no claim to the 4K, only his own code; etc. >Chances are people producing small quantities of games may be buying one >of the above carts for their games anyway. Yeah, I'm sure O'Shea's will get a big order when someone finally releases a new game. >But back to Video 61. What's the worst case scenario? What if PICKLOCK is >*identical* to 4KB of Harry's cart? Does that necessarily mean that using >PICKLOCK is infringing on Harry? Maybe, but not necessarily. It really >depends on the contract between Harry/Video 61 and Atari. If a cart used Harry's 4K, there are three bits it would likely use: reset, NMI, and IRQ. Using those functions without permission would be a violation. Though that DOES depend on the contracts... The way I understand it, Atari gave Harry permission to use and modify the 4K he put in the Monitor Cart, and Harry licensed use of his 4K to Video61. >It would be nice if Video 61 would lighten up a bit with the saber rattling. That's kind of my personal opinion... But to be fair, it's not like he's out there publicly bullying folk (which is why I was keeping it quiet at first). I think Lance was merely sounding off worries about what releasing the Monitor Cart again might lead to. >Then maybe it would be easier for people to see them as a possibly >valuable service provider for helping people to publish games. As far as I know Lance, he's put out a bunch of Atari 8-bit carts and hasn't sued anyone. :-) >All this talk about legal stuff only makes me defensive and certainly >doesn't predispose me to consider them as a publishing option. I hope this mild paranoia isn't a direct translation of my worries, which seem to be panning out for good after all. >As far as I'm concerned, people should have a right to write games for a >machine if they want. For any machine without a licensing structure for third parties, I wholeheartedly agree. I still agree with license-driven machines (NES, PSX, that sort of thing), but there are legal reasons it might not be so straightforward. >And the exclusionary licensing stuff is only borderline legal anyway -- >if that. This is something Microsoft seems to be finding out lately. Are you talking monopoly allegations, or other cases? I believe licensing is entirely legal, but I'm sure not a fan when the owners take gestapo-ish stands against those getting around the licensing (like what Sony did to Bleem! at one of the trade shows -- yikes!). >As for what gets posted on the list, that's up to Glenn I think. If he >wants to change his guidelines then he can tell us. But I'm leaving >PICKLOCK up on my web site until I become convinced that it is actually >infringing on Harry/Video 61, And it isn't! >or somebody from Atari/Hasbro tells me they're having a problem with it. I'm sure that won't happen. >> That begs a question... Can you put 2600 games on 7800 boards? >Yes, I believe so. I think you can write large flat-model (up to 48K) or >bankswitched (up to 128K) 2600 games and put them on a 7800 cart no problem. >No encryption problems if you don't turn on the Maria chip. Actually, I meant the question in a more physical way... If I put a 2600 EPROM on a 7800 board, can I plug it into my 2600? I know that 7800 games have more pins on the board, but do the extra pins mess up anything in a 2600? Or is the board too wide (it occurs to me that I've never compared them!)? //*================================================================++ || Russ Perry Jr 2175 S Tonne Dr #105 Arlington Hts IL 60005 || || 847-952-9729 slapdash@xxxxxxxxxxxx VIDEOGAME COLLECTOR! || ++================================================================*// -- Archives (includes files) at http://www.biglist.com/lists/stella/archives/ Unsub & more at http://www.biglist.com/lists/stella/
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