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Thread: Legitimacy of Keeper FX

  
  1. #1

    Default Legitimacy of Keeper FX

    How is Keeper FX legal? It contains the full original campaign free of charge, unlike patches that require the purchase of a legal copy in order to work.

    I did buy Dungeon Keeper Collector's Edition on Ebay for 35 £ yesterday, but also downloaded Keeper FX to see what it is about. I try to avoid piracy at all costs.

    Otherwise I know how it goes. Your enemies dig out something to get you in trouble for an ulterior motive. For example, if I was a famous professor of sociology in an reseach institute, and someone wanted to get me fired, they would only have to tell the press how I have illegal copies on my hard drive. I would be treated as a pirate mastermind. Let's assume that at the same time there was an incident, where a group of terrorists bombed the subway and had a hard drive full of illegal copies of subway textbooks. What a mess!
    Last edited by Teemu Milto; April 14th, 2011 at 15:35.

  2. #2
    Beetle
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    Default Re: Legitimacy of Keeper FX

    Wether it is legal or not we can safely assume that any DK1 fans have bought the game back then. I bought it twice :P

  3. #3
    KeeperFX Author mefistotelis's Avatar
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    Default Re: Legitimacy of Keeper FX

    Here's an answer I wrote a few months ago to an e-mail about legal issues of KeeperFX:

    Code:
    KeeperFX, as it, is free and open-source.
    
    The data files are shipped with KeeperFX CCP - which contains data copyrighted by Bullfrog (now EA), but also files created by other people (makers of the unofficial campaigns), to which no license information was attached.
    
    I consider the status of KeeperFX to be quite simple - it's just an open-source project. It does use some of the original binary data, but this will change over time, making its status completely clear. It does not use so-called "clean-room reverse-engineering", but the code is surely very different from original implementation. In my country (Poland) doing what I did here is legal.
    
    As about KeeperFX CCP, its package contains data which is considered abandonware, but there's no legal rights expiration in most countries, so it is... kind of illegal. If EA will contact me in that matter, I will remove all KeeperFX CCP downloads. But KeeperFX sources, binaries and configuration files will stay.
    As about the story you've provided - you can't solve everything in one day, so if I were you I would first focus on getting famous .
    Last edited by mefistotelis; April 14th, 2011 at 15:57.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Legitimacy of Keeper FX

    Hello mefistotelis!

    Thank you very much for this great modding project, that provides this great game free of charge.

    But I am inclined to avoid piracy products at all cost, even if they are just on the grey zone. Another issue is that the game experience is not too different. The data may be changing and thus free from legal limits, but the experience of the original campaign is exactly the same as the original copy, if chosen. It resembles the question of plagiation in literacy or music. You are not supposed to have anything even in resemblance to the copyrighted material. Take poor Britney and her enemies with their ulterior motives for example. This way Keeper FX is the copyrighted original. Even if it just patched the game, it would perhaps still require buying the original. You have created this game just because you believe it is so good that we should be able to use piracy to keep playing it for years to come.

    But is it legal if we have the original?

    I think no-cd patches are illegal too, if they don't come from the publisher, like for example Sid Meyer's Firaxis did to Civilization 4. Unfortunately legality is the moral truth to this society, and crimes are sought be punished regardless of any other moral truth.

    Maybe a mod that installed an executable automatically, that would not change the no-cd state of the original game, and would only add new things, not changing the original items in the game, that would be safe to be called legal in this Capitalist society.

    I will avoid Keeper FX for my reputation. But as we know, EA isn't acting on Keeper FX just now. You can play it if you want to take the risk with the sinister law experts and their sinister schemes.
    Last edited by Teemu Milto; April 14th, 2011 at 16:24.

  5. #5
    Imp Walkerz's Avatar
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    Default Re: Legitimacy of Keeper FX

    Teemu haha ur imagination made me laugh my ass off,
    Like there is some conspiracy against u, jezus christ lighten up.
    Bullfrog doesn't even exist anymore so they aren't getting the profit.

    Besides u can't even get the game anymore in a regular shop, also 35 bucks for a way old game, u kinda got ripped off there mate.
    Just saying.

  6. #6
    Fly Ogre's Avatar
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    Default Re: Legitimacy of Keeper FX

    Quote Originally Posted by Walkerz View Post
    Bullfrog doesn't even exist anymore so they aren't getting the profit.
    That's becayse Bullfrog and all DK-based things are now owned by EA.

  7. #7
    Moderator MaxHayman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Legitimacy of Keeper FX

    EA dont care. They abndoned dk back in 2000.

  8. #8

    Default Re: Legitimacy of Keeper FX

    Mefistotelis, could you ask EA if they will give you the rights or a deal?

    Walkerz, yes, there was a legal conspiracy against me and there could be again. That wasn't the first one either. Well, I was fired from some clubs and discriminated against in school, but that's not legal per se. That's the rule. Anybody who defies the tradition, gets enormous hatred and hysteria from the religious people. If I ever get a high position, you can be sure that even my kindergarten record will be dealt with like criminals, if it helps my enemies. And no, I am not a bad person. Legally charged persons are not all bad persons. That is just the myth that is allowing the law experts to repress the citizens by creating lies as I described. 35 £ is not a rip-off because DK1 is not available anymore, and there was a copy double that price.

    Ballwinkle, how did EA abandon DK in 2000?
    Last edited by Teemu Milto; April 20th, 2011 at 16:00.

  9. #9
    Elite Dragon Mothrayas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Legitimacy of Keeper FX

    By cancelling DK3 around that period and then doing nothing else with DK. (I don't count that Chinese MMO).

    The Awakening


  10. #10
    Moderator MaxHayman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Legitimacy of Keeper FX

    EA just buy out smaller compaines....kinda sad really, but i guess its buisness

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