QL Commercial Software Preservation

[RWAP]

Over the years I have acquired copies of and built up quite a library of commercial QL Software titles - a lot more than currently appears on the QL Wiki.

For simplicity (for me), the programs have been stripped off microdrive cartridge and transferred to floppy disk. I have then copied them onto my PC's hard drive using q-emulator (into folders sorted by publisher and by software title).

This is my version of the QL Software Preservation Project.

There are however, various issues I face (including my health) and am therefore looking for someone willing to partner with me and help take this project further forward.

a) There is quite a lot of software where I cannot get it working under q-emulator - it may be down to copy protection, or some of the files being corrupt.
b) I do not have copies of a lot of the software - and microdrive cartridges are becoming more and more expensive to acquire in the vain hope that I can read them!
c) I don't have a lot of time to do this - although a few people do help the project by cracking some of the copy protection, or paying a small fee for a working backup copy which helps to fund the acquisition of more second hand microdrive cartridges for preservation.
d) There are quite a large number of programs I have not tested on q-emulator, or even sorted as yet.
e) A lot of the information is still missing from the QL Wiki - there are literally 100s of programs and software houses listed in old QL Users which need to be written up and entered onto the WIki.
f) Last but not least are the copyright (IP) issues - I have successfully tracked down some of the copyright holders, but this is never easy. Following discussions with them, if they agree to it being made public domain, then I have forwarded copies to Dilwyn for hosing on the Sinclair QL Homepage. Otherwise, if they are willing to allow the software to be re-released commercially, then I have offered it on a commercial basis.

I am concerned that if my health does not improve, very little progress will be made in this over the next couple of years, exacerbating the problems.


So, what can you do to help?


1) If you can look through old copies of QL World / QL User / QL Today / QL Leisure Review / QL Technical Review and QL Adventurers Forum (and other magazines) and add information to the QL Wiki about companies and software titles, then please do - advertising blurb will help.

2) If you can track down or contact any of the copyright holders, then please do so - if you want advice on what to say to them, then please let me know. It is also worth checking with me to see if I contacted them previously and whether I had any success.

3) I am looking for 2 volunteers to come forward who will help sort out, test and preserve the software (I have over 100 -200 microdrive cartridges here which need sorting and possibly transferring).

You will need access to a QL with at least one good quality microdrive unit, a disk interface, and Q-emuLator on the PC, with a broadband connection. I would suggest that my current preservation project folder is then shared using DropBox for these purposes - this will mean that we will all see the same folders, and they will all be backed up on our local PCs.

We need to maintain a list somewhere of missing in action titles - I started a thread on here, but it is not easy to maintain!

Due to the copyright and Intellectual Property restrictions on the software - all of the folders and microdrive cartridges being shared would be treated as owned by RWAP Software with you working as unpaid sub-contractors. You would need to agree not to share any of the software with any third party without written authority from the copyright holder.

4) I am also looking for a volunteer or two to help crack copy-protected software. It may well be that you have a disk based version of the software (which has either been cracked or has no copy protection already). This will help the team under (3) above.

Just a quick comment before this attracts a whole host of negative comments....

-- Please do not moan about the copyright position, or say that all this should be uploaded to a website and made freely available. Due to my background, I cannot condone software piracy or breaches of copyright. If you want to start up your own preservation project and 'publish and be damned' then feel free (and take the risk), but unfortunately, I will not be a part of it and will defend the rights of where software is still commercially available!

[vanpeebles]

A worthy cause, I will help where I can

[RWAP]

By the way - the reason why public domain software is not part of this project, is because if you have any public domain software which is not on Dilwyn's site already, then let him know so he can add it to the Sinclair QL Homepage

[radastan]

I don't understand a project where you preserve software that can not be disposed for download. ¿Only for your use?

90% of QL Software are still commercial, 30 years after QL start. QL needs more collaboration of owner rights, there is nosense on get money in a software 20 years or more old. We need fresh software, not older.

ZX Spectrum is alive because we have WOS, a lot of games for free download, and this makes new users to join scene and to make new games.

I know everyone have his rights, but is a nosense to make money of something with a very little base of users. Only the wing of liberty for older software can change it.

Think about it.

[radastan]

By the way - the reason why public domain software is not part of this project, is because if you have any public domain software which is not on Dilwyn's site already, then let him know so he can add it to the Sinclair QL Homepage

But, then, the project will be incomplete. And public domain software needs to be preserve too, there is a lot of public software that only are preserved in part or with a hack one. Preservation is not only software, is instructions, covers...

[vanpeebles]

I think this is more about preservation of copyrighted titles and trying to track down the authors/owners to get them re-released. But yes we do need new software as well. We need to attack on all fronts

[RWAP]

By the way - the reason why public domain software is not part of this project, is because if you have any public domain software which is not on Dilwyn's site already, then let him know so he can add it to the Sinclair QL Homepage

But, then, the project will be incomplete. And public domain software needs to be preserve too, there is a lot of public software that only are preserved in part or with a hack one. Preservation is not only software, is instructions, covers...

As I said, the public domain software is preserved already on the Sinclair QL Homepage - if you have any more, then that can be provided to Dilwyn to add to his site.

I doubt any public domain software was ever provided with instructions or covers other than what was on the microdrive or disk itself.

[RWAP]

I don't understand a project where you preserve software that can not be disposed for download. ¿Only for your use?

90% of QL Software are still commercial, 30 years after QL start. QL needs more collaboration of owner rights, there is nosense on get money in a software 20 years or more old. We need fresh software, not older.

ZX Spectrum is alive because we have WOS, a lot of games for free download, and this makes new users to join scene and to make new games.

I know everyone have his rights, but is a nonsense to make money of something with a very little base of users. Only the wing of liberty for older software can change it.

Think about it.

Yes, we need new software - we also need to try to track down copyright owners and get the older titles re-released (ideally as public domain, but that is up to the copyright owners to decide).

This is NOT a commercial venture whatever you may think.

So this provides a three pronged approach:
a) Find and actually preserve working copies of all QL software - this helps people who have own original microdrives but can no longer read them or have moved to an emulator. They show me some proof that they own the original, and for a small fee, I supply them with a working copy. That small fee helps fund the purchase of even more second hand microdrives to hopefully find even more missing (or incomplete) software.
b) Track down copyright holders and obtain their approval to release the software either as public domain or as commercial titles.
c) Encourage new software titles to be written.


As I said if someone else wants to create a software archive which can be freely downloaded, then go ahead and do it - but (as with WoS) bear in mind that there will be copyright holders who may object and deny distribution. I will not be party to that or provide copies of any software to be added to such a site unless the copyright holders provide their consent. That is my legal and personal view point - not a commercial view point.

Does anyone remember the large early FACT adverts which were backed by a lot of the bigger QL software companies in the day - (Federation Against Copyright Theft) - I know that the following copyright holders are dead set against free distribution of their software (many have been very vocal about it in the past):

Digital Precision
Software 87
Liberation Software
Jochen Merz Software
Pyramide
Talent Software (including Talent + and Microdeal)
Myself (RWAP Software)

Some of the other copyright holders I have been in touch with HAVE provided their consent for titles to be re-released and where they have given permission for re-release as public domain, the software has been passed to Dilwyn and added to the Sinclair QL Homepage.

Other publishers are just not sure what the contracts said at the time, or who owns the copyright and are unable to provide their consent.....

[Dave]

I am 100% supportive of this; both in practice and philosophically.

Since it is a preservation project, and since with QL Microdrives we are particularly vulnerable to bit rot, it only makes sense to capture, recover and reveal what we actually have.

Copyright is an international treaty and it's the law and should be followed, even if it is inconvenient for us. I think a discussion of the benefits and problems of copyright law (like the over-reaching length of copyright) are not part of discussion of a preservation project whose sole aim is to prevent the software being lost forever.

One solution for all future copyrighted publications is to start a tradition of publishing, and including in the copyright/license: (C)2016. Releases to public domain 2026.

Copyright issues, not technical or design issues, were the main thing that stopped my hardware projects - it's hard to get permission from people who have left the community, or who increasingly have passed away.

One idea that bypasses copyright is to operate the archive as a library. Simply allow each package to be loaned to one person at a time. That way they can evaluate it. Then once they know it is what they want, they can either hunt down a failed copy (and thereby have a license to use) or you could restore the cartridges and include floppy or internet-based duplicates.

Sorry to hear of your health problems, Rich. Hope you recover soon.

[RWAP]

I just have to say that there is massive misunderstanding here...

1) Public domain software is NOT included - that is because it is already made freely available from http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/downloads.html

2) I am not willing to take the risk of making commercial titles 'free to download' as I could be taken to court over this, I could have my website taken down, or I could lose my good reputation for upholding the law

3) This is NOT a commercial venture. When I approach copyright holders, I first ask them if they are willing to make the software available as public domain - in which case see (1). If not, then I offer to re-publish it on their behalf at a price which they agree to and pay royalties on any sales. If they disagree to both of these, then that is up to them.

I do not intend for my name to be raked through the mud over this project - if you want to take part, then contribute something. If you don't want to take part, then stay out of it. I will not discuss the merits of the project any further.

If you want to create your own similar project, then do so - but DO NOT INCLUDE ANY SOFTWARE WHICH IS AVAILABLE TO BUY COMMERCIALLY AT PRESENT !! . You will of course need to buy second hand software from somewhere to preserve it.

I don't need or want hassle over this.

I could simply say that the QL Wiki and all of the software I have acquired over my 30 years involvement in the QL is mine and I will keep it to myself. What happens when I am no longer able to support the QL or around, who knows!

Is that what the QL community want though?