Serious question: Copyright/Legal issues of NoCd patches?

jwoulf · 01-20-2003, 06:38 AM

First of all, I would like to say that I support the use of NoCD patches for allowing the legal owner of the CD to play the game and still keep their CD in good condition.

But I was thinking about the release of the NoCd patch for BF1942 1.2 and the fact that it comes with a modified version of the BF1942.exe file. That file is just a slightly modified version of the original BF1942.exe file which is owned by EA-Games. So, technically, the patch contains copyrighted material. Wouldn't it be better (and much more legal to distribute) if a patch program were made to append to the existing files, not just replace them with modified copies? Does such a patch exist? Can one be made easily?

Howls,
Ian "the jwoulf" Johnson

Caslon · 01-20-2003, 07:08 AM

You CAN use free Virtual CD type programs, ya know (legally).
http://www.virtualcd-online.com/default_e.htm

General legality issues have been discussed here a lot already, this for one.
http://forums.bfnation.net/viewtopic...ighlight=legal

Topic posted may get responces. Been there.

mrsleep · 01-20-2003, 03:29 PM

I like how after a year id released a patch for Quake 3 that did away with the cd check, maybe we can hope.

~>Aerodynamic · 01-20-2003, 03:32 PM

01-20-2003, 06:38 AM	#1 (permalink)
jwoulf Private Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: SoCal Posts: 13	Serious question: Copyright/Legal issues of NoCd patches? First of all, I would like to say that I support the use of NoCD patches for allowing the legal owner of the CD to play the game and still keep their CD in good condition. But I was thinking about the release of the NoCd patch for BF1942 1.2 and the fact that it comes with a modified version of the BF1942.exe file. That file is just a slightly modified version of the original BF1942.exe file which is owned by EA-Games. So, technically, the patch contains copyrighted material. Wouldn't it be better (and much more legal to distribute) if a patch program were made to append to the existing files, not just replace them with modified copies? Does such a patch exist? Can one be made easily? Howls, Ian "the jwoulf" Johnson

01-20-2003, 03:29 PM	#3 (permalink)
mrsleep Sergeant Major Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Santa Cruz Posts: 621	... I like how after a year id released a patch for Quake 3 that did away with the cd check, maybe we can hope. __________________ \'I am a minister of death, praying for war.\'

01-20-2003, 03:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
~>Aerodynamic Master Warrant Officer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: USA FOREVER! Posts: 1,127	... __________________ \"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.\"

01-20-2003, 07:08 AM	#2 (permalink)
Caslon Lieutenant Colonel Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Deep inside the Earth. Posts: 4,582	You CAN use free Virtual CD type programs, ya know (legally). http://www.virtualcd-online.com/default_e.htm General legality issues have been discussed here a lot already, this for one. http://forums.bfnation.net/viewtopic...ighlight=legal Topic posted may get responces. Been there.