[GH-ISSUE #103] Policy: how should the KB treat abandonware whose only community install path is a DRM bypass? #26

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opened 2026-10-15 20:52:35 +00:00 by bsakaguchi · 1 comment

bsakaguchi commented

2026-10-15 20:52:35 +00:00

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Originally created by @Selene0623 on GitHub (Oct 6, 2026).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/rehan-remade/universal-modder/issues/103

Context. TDU2 (Atari/Eden, 2011) is delisted and no longer sold anywhere. The Project Paradise 2 revival's install guides include an activation-bypass path for people who don't own a copy; the KB already documents TDU2's engine, savegame and online mechanics.

What "abandonware" is — and isn't. It is not a legal category. "Abandonware" is a community term for software at least a few years old that is no longer distributed or supported by its owner; the copyright is not abandoned, and US law recognises only "orphan works" (where the holder is unknown/unlocatable — many abandonware titles don't even qualify, since the owner is known, just inactive). Copyright terms make this permanent in practice: 70 years after the author's death, or 95 years from publication / 120 from creation for corporate works. The closest legal analogue to a carve-out is the DMCA §1201 exemption (granted 2003, renewed 2006, extended 2009) permitting circumvention of copy protection for preservation/archival only — explicitly not distribution; the EU has an Orphan Works Directive (2012/28/EU). Note also that a title re-released on GOG/Steam is no longer abandonware, and a sold remaster doesn't cover the original. (Wikipedia "Abandonware"; How-To Geek "What Is Abandonware and Is It Legal?"; HowStuffWorks "How Abandonware Works"; r/abandonware FAQ.)

Current policy. "Never include … anything that … bypasses … anti-cheat, DRM or ownership checks." Absolute — no carve-out for titles with no purchase path.

Tension. The rule conflates circumventing a purchase with running something no longer purchasable. Banning any mention hides the only practical route for delisted titles; reproducing steps or keys should stay banned. Two further considerations: abandonware downloads are a known malware vector with no publisher verification, and the community itself already draws the line we'd want — established archives remove titles on request, link to official purchase pages, restrict themselves to titles not otherwise available, and disclaim that downloads are for people who own a copy.

Options.

Keep absolute (status quo).
Permit referencing that a bypass route exists / linking community guides, without reproducing steps or keys — what our TDU2 note does today.
Case-by-case carve-out for verifiably-unobtainable titles.
Add an explicit abandonware/unobtainable status field so maintainers review case by case.

Ask. Which should contributors follow?

Originally created by @Selene0623 on GitHub (Oct 6, 2026). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/rehan-remade/universal-modder/issues/103 **Context.** TDU2 (Atari/Eden, 2011) is delisted and no longer sold anywhere. The Project Paradise 2 revival's install guides include an activation-bypass path for people who don't own a copy; the KB already documents TDU2's engine, savegame and online mechanics. **What "abandonware" is — and isn't.** It is not a legal category. "Abandonware" is a community term for software at least a few years old that is no longer distributed or supported by its owner; the copyright is *not* abandoned, and US law recognises only "orphan works" (where the holder is unknown/unlocatable — many abandonware titles don't even qualify, since the owner is known, just inactive). Copyright terms make this permanent in practice: 70 years after the author's death, or 95 years from publication / 120 from creation for corporate works. The closest legal analogue to a carve-out is the DMCA §1201 exemption (granted 2003, renewed 2006, extended 2009) permitting circumvention of copy protection **for preservation/archival only — explicitly not distribution**; the EU has an Orphan Works Directive (2012/28/EU). Note also that a title re-released on GOG/Steam is no longer abandonware, and a sold remaster doesn't cover the original. *(Wikipedia "Abandonware"; How-To Geek "What Is Abandonware and Is It Legal?"; HowStuffWorks "How Abandonware Works"; r/abandonware FAQ.)* **Current policy.** "Never include … anything that … bypasses … anti-cheat, DRM or ownership checks." Absolute — no carve-out for titles with no purchase path. **Tension.** The rule conflates *circumventing a purchase* with *running something no longer purchasable*. Banning any mention hides the only practical route for delisted titles; reproducing steps or keys should stay banned. Two further considerations: abandonware downloads are a known malware vector with no publisher verification, and the community itself already draws the line we'd want — established archives remove titles on request, link to official purchase pages, restrict themselves to titles not otherwise available, and disclaim that downloads are for people who own a copy. **Options.** 1. Keep absolute (status quo). 2. Permit *referencing* that a bypass route exists / linking community guides, without reproducing steps or keys — what our TDU2 note does today. 3. Case-by-case carve-out for verifiably-unobtainable titles. 4. Add an explicit `abandonware`/`unobtainable` status field so maintainers review case by case. **Ask.** Which should contributors follow?

bsakaguchi closed this issue

2026-10-15 20:52:35 +00:00

bsakaguchi commented

2026-10-15 20:52:36 +00:00

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@rehan-remade commented on GitHub (Oct 7, 2026):

Decided: option 2, now in CONTRIBUTING (#138). For a game that can no longer be bought anywhere, a note may say that a community route for people without a copy exists, and link the community's guide page. What stays out:

the route's steps, keys, serials and files;
direct links to patched executables, cracks or game downloads.

Anything still sold stays under the plain no-bypass rule, and owners' routes should come first wherever they exist.

@rehan-remade commented on GitHub (Oct 7, 2026): Decided: option 2, now in CONTRIBUTING (#138). For a game that can no longer be bought anywhere, a note may say that a community route for people without a copy exists, and link the community's guide page. What stays out: - the route's steps, keys, serials and files; - direct links to patched executables, cracks or game downloads. Anything still sold stays under the plain no-bypass rule, and owners' routes should come first wherever they exist.

bsakaguchi referenced this issue

2026-10-15 20:53:09 +00:00

[PR #26] [MERGED] kb: Blink Strike teleports behind the target (REFramework Lua skill rework) (Dragon's Dogma 2) #67