What ever happen to the WCP:SO Fiction?

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Delta_Strife

Rear Admiral
Ok i know you can get it the SO fiction off the website but the website appears to be down is there any other way to read the fiction that goes along with the game because i jsut dug out the old cd with SO on it and started playing it again but I don't have the fiction because these are the episodes I downloaded off the website. Any Help would be greatly appreciated
 
Don't be stupid. There's plenty of stupidly risky crap at the CIC - Academy episodes, End Run, enough music to kill a horse... we don't post the WCSO episodes because we were specifically asked not to (And frankly because we just don't care enough to spend money to help people who couldn't be bothered help out with WCSOs all-important download numbers in 1998). If that's not enough for you, I'll be happy to show you the door.

(That said, we put the fiction online when SO.com went down - https://www.wcnews.com/articles/sofiction.shtml)
 
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There is no copyright on the Academy epsiodes, you said it yourself. I have never seen End Run or the SO fiction linked anywhere on your mainpage so I guess your "risky crap" stays pretty secret. And I would like to know who told you not to distribut the SO episodes, they must have a bit of spine to tell you not to distribute something that was once available online for free and is otherwise only included in a product that is out of print.
 
It was Mike McCoy, Origin's web relations guy (circa 1999). We asked for permission again in 2002 (, and we were again told no.

I seriously doubt that I told you that the Academy episodes weren't copyrighted... since that's clearly not true. The copyright appears on the title card of the episode. We asked for and were given permission to post them by Origin (... but not Universal) - but that's nowhere near the same thing as having the legal right to do so.

A quick search of the news locates all the things I listed. "But I'm not looking for it!" isn't remotely an excuse.

A game being out of print *DOES NOT* affect its legal status - nor does its method of distribution. Giving away a game is not the same thing as putting it in the public domain.

(They don't make 1968 Mustangs anymore! If I see one, I can take it!)
 
Im not going into legal discussions, but that mustang comment makes no sense
a car would be someones, and if you took it, that someone would be without it
Now, if you could touch said Mustang and create an exact copy of it for yourself, like in downloaded softwares, then thats different :)

Mmmm...now that would be an interesting power to have...
 
Fine - and you don't see the ability to magically copy cars as something that would end up preventing companies from building any more cars in the first place? You (or whoever wants to use this website as some kind of warez forum) is not the center of the universe.
 
Amerika said:
You sir, rule. At last someone on the CIC who isn't scared of null copyrights.
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null?

I'm sure this'll be fun.

People can copy all the stuff they want, as it's none of my business, and I don't really care either way. Arguing that the copyright is null somehow is idiotic, however.
 
Origin no longer exists, EA is not making a profit out of SO and thus probably won't take legal action over it. About the worst that will happen by posting the episodes is Mike McCoy driving by your house and throwing cans at it. Not to mention the fact that they were free to begin with. And loaf, it does nothing for your site to make one post about having a whole book online then file it away with dozens of other mundane articles, I don't think anyone goes looking for a whole online book on a site that promises nothing like it. And you won't get badgered over the Academy episodes because they probably made less money than Secret Ops did, the reason why there are only 13.
 
Amerika,
we've been argueing this stuff for years, even before WCSO even existed.

The CIC is their site, they can not put the SO episodes up and that's that. Stop bothering everyone with this very dead and beaten horse.
 
Origin no longer exists,
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I'm not entirely sure what that means. Origin as a publishing brand and development team still exists - which is the same sense in which they've existed for the last fifteen years (for every publication from WC2 Deluxe forward).

(Well, okay, I was lying - I know exactly what you mean. Origin is developing Ultima Whatever in Redwood City rather than Austin. Certainly a bigger move than from Wild Basin to West Courtyard Drive (also EA funded - didn't notice anyone complaining)... but it's utterly insignificant when it comes to Wing Commander. Heck, it might even be better for us - Chris Roberts is in California now, too.)

EA is not making a profit out of SO and thus probably won't take legal action over it.
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EA *never* made a profit from SO - as you are so fond of repeating, as though it made any difference with regards to copyright, SO was given away for free. This didn't stop them from releasing it under a license, and it doesn't affect the fact that its their intellectual property. "probably won't" doesn't count when it wouldn't be your ass on the line paying for legal costs.

About the worst that will happen by posting the episodes is Mike McCoy driving by your house and throwing cans at it.
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I don't think Boomer is with Origin anymore (well, I know he's not). We work with the UO Live team on the rare occasion that we decide we have to okay posting material. We do enjoy a good relationship with people from Origin (and the various WC-affiliated companies - Digital Anvil, Raylight, EA, Ascendant, etc). I see no reason to risk that (plus our hosting and large amounts of money) in order to help people who are either too stupid or too lazy to plug 'Secret Ops' into a search engine.

Not to mention the fact that they were free to begin with.

And loaf, it does nothing for your site to make one post about having a whole book online then file it away with dozens of other mundane articles, I don't think anyone goes looking for a whole online book on a site that promises nothing like it.
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Oh, well, you have my sincere apologies. I guess it just didn't dawn on me that people wouldn't think to look at the *news* at an *news* site. If only we provided some way to search the news... or some kind of forum to help people locate such things. Ah, well. (Note, sarcasm. Because someone dumb enough to believe that "but I didn't see it!" is a legitimate reason to claim that something isn't there is probably too dumb to understand tone.)

And you won't get badgered over the Academy episodes because they probably made less money than Secret Ops did, the reason why there are only 13.
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Thirteen is the standard production order for an animated series' first season. Academy was actually the highest rated of USA's Saturday morning programming (beating out two shows that had started the year before and had been renewed - Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat). Why wasn't there a second season? 1997 was the year USA 'retooled' their image - *all* of their running shows were dropped (and they stopped doing childrens programming alltogether).

(Not that the success or failure of a TV show has anything to do with the legality of stealing it, mind you.)
 
Don't worry about it - it's nothing you did. I had the same reaction when SO.com went down (although I actually saw them cart the server out of the building... it's possible it'll be back up when the move is over). I'm just kind of incredulous that there's anyone out there who thinks we're doing something *wrong* by not letting people steal Wing Commander games.
 
You know, I think I felt my IQ dip a point or two after reading through this thread.... :(

Just because something isn't being made or published now doesn't mean that the copyright isn't still in effect - it just means that the company in question is leaving the license in its portfolio, perhaps to bring back at a later date. Enforcement of the copyright can vary, depending on the company involved, but they still hold the copyright. Thus a 'null' copyright does not exist - the copyright is defined by the copyright holder and the copyright office of the country or countries they register the intellectual property under.

I'd probably try to avoid arguing copyrights unless you've done enough reading, and maybe have a lawyer who specializes in the field working with you on the issue in question.
 
I agree with you Loaf! I love this community and visit alll the time and I hardly ever post though lol. But its sad to see people fighting over if WC games are on this site.
 
Bandit LOAF said:
Fine - and you don't see the ability to magically copy cars as something that would end up preventing companies from building any more cars in the first place?
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Actually, since patents are protected by just 10 years, extended for an extra 10, you can indeed build your own 1968 Mustang free of charge. You can't sell it as a Mustang, since the trademark is owned - you'd have to sell as a replica, of course. But you can legally make and sell any car older than 20 years.
 
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