Date   : Mon, 05 May 1997 21:13:14 +0100
From   : Martin Main <mmain@...>
Subject: Re: Archive format / Acornsoft ROMs

On 05 May 1997 10:21, Robert Schmidt[SMTP:rsc@...] wrote:
> Martin Main wrote:
> > I have now obtained a number of ROM images (from the net) and these are not
> > in the archive format i.e. they lack the associated .inf file. I looked in
> > these files for other programs I had downloaded and it was not immediately
> > obvious what hand coding would be required to transfer the ROM files
> > across.
> 
> ROM files are not BBC files.  They make just as little sense on a BBC
> disk as they do on your PC's hard disk, or possibly even less, as on
> your PC, you can at least use the ROMs in a BBC emulator.  An *.inf file
> is of no use for a ROM image file.
> 
> To use a ROM image file in your BBC, you need to burn an EPROM with the
> image, and physically locate the EPROM inside your BBC.
Surely these images can be loaded in sideways RAM?

>  
> > ... In particular, BASIC
> > and the OS. What about all the other ROM based software Acornsoft produced?
> 
> I was advised by Acorn to withdraw *all* ROM images copyright Acorn (and
> even Acornsoft, which is now owned by Superior), and so I did.
> 
> > Surely the code used in the Graphics Extension ROM to draw circles has any
> > impact in todays mouse driven graphical environments?

> That's no reason not to respect their copyright.  As regulars on this
> list will be aware of, I'm way past crossing the line and sticking my
> neck out in making publicly available loads of games/software
> copyrighted by companies that are still alive.  The least *I* can do is
> to respect their wishes to withdraw their software from public access.  
I was not suggesting that you load up these  images on your website, merely
curious as to Acorn's reasoning for this decision.
 
> --
> Robert Schmidt <rsc@...>
> Software Developer / Vingmed Sound tel +47 67124237 fax +47 67124355
> Private tel +47 22352293 WWW http://www.nvg.unit.no/~rsc
> 
> The law forbids both rich and poor to beg, steal and sleep under
> bridges.
> 
> 
>