Copyright Office Lists Exemptions To The Rules

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That's odd. Education and security research are on this list of proposed exemptions but copying and selling DVDs at the flea market isn't. I was hoping they'd get that one on the list this year. ;) Thanks to Jeff for the link.

Copyright law is surprisingly pervasive. It affects everything from computers to cars (and tractors). The law says you’re not allowed to circumvent DRM on anything for any reason… except for a big pile of things you actually legally can. Those exemptions get re-evaluated every three years, and today the new list is out.
 
I wonder if running one’s own city of heroes server would qualify for the video game DRM exemption?
 
Has City of Heroes been abandoned? The exemption is only for abandoned games.

The servers were shut down but NCSoft still retains the IP. Like most "abandoned" games they don't really sit abandoned. The publisher will continuously renew the IP until they milk another franchise out of it, in the mean time they just squat on it.
 
The servers were shut down but NCSoft still retains the IP. Like most "abandoned" games they don't really sit abandoned. The publisher will continuously renew the IP until they milk another franchise out of it, in the mean time they just squat on it.

Well, you never know how the courts would rule but based on that if there is no functioning server then the DRM could be circumvented legally in order to create a functional server (since the game requires a server to run). Now whether that extends to letting other people access your server that is anyone's guess.
 
I wonder if running one’s own city of heroes server would qualify for the video game DRM exemption?

The servers were shut down but NCSoft still retains the IP. Like most "abandoned" games they don't really sit abandoned. The publisher will continuously renew the IP until they milk another franchise out of it, in the mean time they just squat on it.

Actually if you read the listing about videogames, it would seemingly be a "yes" since the game is no longer playable(the status of the publisher sitting on the IP isn't relevant, assuming you legally acquired the game in the first place, abandonware is a different matter).

However, if you read the actual PDF that the article links to, you'll see this on page 54:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2015-27212.pdf
Accordingly, based on the Register’s recommendation, the Librarian adopts the
following exemption:
(i) Video games in the form of computer programs embodied in
physical or downloaded formats that have been lawfully acquired
as complete games, when the copyright owner or its authorized
representative has ceased to provide access to an external
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computer server necessary to facilitate an authentication process
to enable local gameplay, solely for the purpose of:
(A) Permitting access to the video game to allow copying and
modification of the computer program to restore access to
the game for personal gameplay on a personal computer or
video game console; or
(B) Permitting access to the video game to allow copying and
modification of the computer program to restore access to
the game on a personal computer or video game console
when necessary to allow preservation of the game in a
playable form by an eligible library, archives or museum,
where such activities are carried out without any purpose
of direct or indirect commercial advantage and the video
game is not distributed or made available outside of the
physical premises of the eligible library, archives or
museum.
(ii) Computer programs used to operate video game consoles solely to
the extent necessary for an eligible library, archives or museum to
engage in the preservation activities described in paragraph (i)(B).
(iii) For purposes of the exemptions in paragraphs (i) and (ii), the
following definitions shall apply:
(A) “Complete games” means video games that can be played
by users without accessing or reproducing copyrightable
content stored or previously stored on an external
computer server.
(B) “Ceased to provide access” means that the copyright owner
or its authorized representative has either issued an
affirmative statement indicating that external server
support for the video game has ended and such support is
in fact no longer available or, alternatively, server support
has been discontinued for a period of at least six months;
provided, however, that server support has not since been
restored.
(C) “Local gameplay” means gameplay conducted on a
personal computer or video game console, or locally
connected personal computers or consoles, and not through
an online service or facility.
(D) A library, archives or museum is considered “eligible”
when the collections of the library, archives or museum are
open to the public and/or are routinely made available to
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researchers who are not affiliated with the library, archives
or museum.

So yes, it seems that it would be legal to crack the DRM to allow you to personally play your game on your computer... but that doesn't appear to include multiplayer. In fact, they go out of their way to specify what "Local gameplay" means and toward the beginning specified gameplay on a personal system. Basically all this does is allow you to get around no longer functioning CD-key(or other types of DRM) servers to play singleplayer games, not necessarily to run a multiplayer server(even if all of the players were using their legally acquired copies of the game to play on the server). You might be able to get away with running a city of heroes server to run around in by yourself, but that'd get pretty damned boring, and anything beyond that would likely need to get hashed out in a court case(which you may not win, and would likely cost you a lot of money to even defend yourself).
 
Oh, and since a game like city of heroes would need a server, it doesn't meet the specified criteria of a "complete game" since the server software isn't part of the game you got.
 
Oh, and since a game like city of heroes would need a server, it doesn't meet the specified criteria of a "complete game" since the server software isn't part of the game you got.

Somebody just needs to work with the EFF or one of the other groups to try and present valid use cases during the next three year review (and for these online games valid use cases would exist) ... that said, it is very difficult to get caught or prosecuted for operating a server unless you do so very publicly or for revenue.
 
Somebody just needs to work with the EFF or one of the other groups to try and present valid use cases during the next three year review (and for these online games valid use cases would exist) ... that said, it is very difficult to get caught or prosecuted for operating a server unless you do so very publicly or for revenue.

It's true. People will just publish the "official" DRM server login removal patch, and just make it easy as setting a variable in a config file to point it to a new server.

As long as the patch doesn't advertise a replacement server, it's staying within the defined bounds, right :D
 
Well, you never know how the courts would rule but based on that if there is no functioning server then the DRM could be circumvented legally in order to create a functional server (since the game requires a server to run). Now whether that extends to letting other people access your server that is anyone's guess.

HOWEVER.....isn't it the right of the copyright holder to decide who gets to use their content and when?

Not saying I agree with it, but it would seem the content holder has the right to say we do not want anyone playing this game right now.....oh and by the way you all acknowledged this right when you accepted the TOS back when the servers were functioning.
 
No, this pretty much gives us license to say "Fuck You!"

The other parts I read elsewhere say dedicated servers and matchup front ends are ok too. :)
 
No, this pretty much gives us license to say "Fuck You!"

The other parts I read elsewhere say dedicated servers and matchup front ends are ok too. :)

well

glad you cleared that up for us

I can quote you right?
 
No, this pretty much gives us license to say "Fuck You!"

The other parts I read elsewhere say dedicated servers and matchup front ends are ok too. :)

And where was that at? Yeah, there are parts about running matchmaking servers, that's not what a City of Heroes server is. There was also some language that appears to allow for running a server to take the place of a dedicated multiplayer server, again that's not what a City of Heroes server is. If you really did see something somewhere that clarifies that running an MMO server would be allowed(rather than explicitly defining what a "complete game" is, which would leave a lot of MMO's out of that since you don't necessarily have the code for running AI, scripted events, etc. in the client), please share that information with the rest of us like how I quoted the text from the original document and provided the link to.
 
Actually if you read the listing about videogames, it would seemingly be a "yes" since the game is no longer playable(the status of the publisher sitting on the IP isn't relevant, assuming you legally acquired the game in the first place, abandonware is a different matter).

However, if you read the actual PDF that the article links to, you'll see this on page 54:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2015-27212.pdf


So yes, it seems that it would be legal to crack the DRM to allow you to personally play your game on your computer... but that doesn't appear to include multiplayer. In fact, they go out of their way to specify what "Local gameplay" means and toward the beginning specified gameplay on a personal system. Basically all this does is allow you to get around no longer functioning CD-key(or other types of DRM) servers to play singleplayer games, not necessarily to run a multiplayer server(even if all of the players were using their legally acquired copies of the game to play on the server). You might be able to get away with running a city of heroes server to run around in by yourself, but that'd get pretty damned boring, and anything beyond that would likely need to get hashed out in a court case(which you may not win, and would likely cost you a lot of money to even defend yourself).

I used to tinker with mangos to run my own World of Warcraft server. Never opened it to other people, but it was fun tinkering with settings and spawning raid bosses left and right. I also got pyroblast to fire as fast as I could click the mouse button. Also increased run and jump speed to the point that I could jump over the entire Ungoro Crater from Tanaris to Silithis. However, it did get boring after a while.
 
I used to tinker with mangos to run my own World of Warcraft server. Never opened it to other people, but it was fun tinkering with settings and spawning raid bosses left and right. I also got pyroblast to fire as fast as I could click the mouse button. Also increased run and jump speed to the point that I could jump over the entire Ungoro Crater from Tanaris to Silithis. However, it did get boring after a while.

Where does the server software come from for WoW servers? Does it leaked periodically or something? I've always wondered how Fenix worked like that.
 
Where does the server software come from for WoW servers? Does it leaked periodically or something? I've always wondered how Fenix worked like that.

It's done from scratch. People playing on legit WOW servers do packet scans and basically run programs to sniff all the netcode while playing the regular game to grab anything that is run server side such as NPC attacks, health values, spawn positions, vendors and loot. The bulk of the data such as the 3D world, spells and objects comes from the game data files which are decrypted. WoW emulation was rather impressive in its day but Blizzard as obfuscated the code somewhat making it harder for there to be servers on newer expansions. I believe the last 99% complete emulator is on WoTLK and anything beyond that is rather broken or privately owned by private servers to squeeze cash out of people for donations and loot.
 
It's done from scratch. People playing on legit WOW servers do packet scans and basically run programs to sniff all the netcode while playing the regular game to grab anything that is run server side such as NPC attacks, health values, spawn positions, vendors and loot. The bulk of the data such as the 3D world, spells and objects comes from the game data files which are decrypted. WoW emulation was rather impressive in its day but Blizzard as obfuscated the code somewhat making it harder for there to be servers on newer expansions. I believe the last 99% complete emulator is on WoTLK and anything beyond that is rather broken or privately owned by private servers to squeeze cash out of people for donations and loot.

Last time I had one running was during Burning Crusade. Have not tried sense.
 
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