Warez, Abandonware, and the Software Industry. ‘What does it mean to own software? When I buy a game, what
can and can’t I do with it? Does illegal copying of software really
hurt anyone? If a company no longer sells a game, should I be able
to download a copy of it?… The battles over software include many combatants. The software
companies are trying to stop the illegal copying of their products.
The abandonware users skirt along the border of legality,
sometimes obtaining permission for their actions, oftentimes not; in the meantime, they try
to distance themselves from the warez crowd as much as possible. The warez users are the
anarchists of the bunch, in effect saying, “Sure, what we’re doing is illegal. So?” ‘ About.com