[game_preservation] Kickstarting the IGDA Preservation SIG

[Kieron Wilkinson]

Hi Greg,

I totally agree that source code preservation is important, I have 
spoken to the guys at Remain In Play (www.remaininplay.com) who are 
indeed doing that already, and I think (please correct me if I am wrong 
Andreas) that DiGA (www.digitalgamearchive.org) is interested in this also.

I had actually not considered IP attacks being motivation for not 
releasing source code. Is more likely something for large companies with 
large IP portfolios (and large amounts of cash) to worry about? With the 
crazyness that appears to be happening in the IP world at the moment, I 
can see their point, not that I agree with it!

-- 
Kieron Wilkinson
Preservation SIG
International Game Developers Association


Greg B wrote:

> Kieron and group,

>  

> I would also like to chime in on the more difficult, but still important 

> task of preserving source code for these games, where available.  I know 

> that Simon and some others know that I do game IP law full time.  One of 

> the most important legal pieces for defending against a patent case in 

> the game context is having the date-stamped source code for a piece of 

> prior art.  Finding a playable game with preserved date-stamped source 

> code is often a type of Holy Grail to help defend a against patent case.

>  

> Having said all of that, I do want to stress "where available."  I'm 

> sure some people are still holding on the that 1987 source code just 

> waiting to make millions on the re-release of the game, but that code is 

> probably worth far more to the publishing/development community archived 

> for historic purposes and for the selfish purpose of defending against 

> IP attacks. 

>  

> Greg