Cloanto buys Amiga, Inc. with trademarks, copyrights, IP

[intric8]

Everyone will just decide to pirate AmigaOS 3.1.4 just to spite them.

Pretty sure a healthy % do that already for all the various OSes.

[McTrinsic]

The healthy % might in this case be much lower so far. Currently my impression rather seems to be that at least a significant part in the Amiga user base acknowledges the hard work going into this and that someone keeps the Amiga alive.

That’s why quite a few people who usually wouldn’t care even buy 3.1.4.

I just hope that this won’t stop dev on 3.2.

[webman]

They would likely have even less people "finding it" without purchase if they had left the digital downloads in place.

[terriblefire]

The digital download is back.

My objection with 3.1.4 is that you need to buy each variation for 30 quid. I simply wont do that. I'll buy 3.1.4 once and that is it. I'd pay a minimal fee for each variation thereafter but not the full price.

[McTrinsic]

Do I get that right that you declare to copy this instead of buying it?

If so, yeah, right, why honor rights. Just copy. Who cares. Legal/illegal is only two letters apart.

Besides that, could you specify what you mean with ‚each variation‘ ? I’d be surprised if you need more than two. One A500/1000/600/2000... and probably one of 3000/4000/1200/cd32.

And of course you can use the updates of the a500 for the a3000. You just won’t have it all done for you but pick the elements manually and might lose one or two.

[intric8]

I don't personally copy the ROMs. I've only just last night purchased an eraser and programmer for some C64 ROMs I want to make for my C128D. But there is an adapter for my programmer which will let me burn Kickstart ROMs, too. I was thinking I should make some copies of the ROMs that are mine and paid for. (That's legal, right? Just like copying your own disks?)

Cloanto:

This ownership in itself does not grant any right to reproduce the ROM or operating system, and/or use them on other computers, unless this is expressly authorized in the license agreement and/or by law.

In many jurisdictions, it is allowed to make a backup copy of software.

But it's all so fuzzy it's hard to easily see what's what half the time. Even those quoted sentences seem to contradict themselves.

I have legal copies of 1.3, 2.0x and 3.1, though, and am about to be given 3 1.3 ROMs for free from an online friend who no longer needs them. Hence why I'm in no hurry to get the adapter now.

[McTrinsic]

Ok maybe I misunderstood the comment regarding ‚variants‘. Of course you can buy one and do what want with it at Home. Just be aware that the releases for ECS/ocs and the AGA machines are different.

[Dynamic_Computing]

The digital download is back.

My objection with 3.1.4 is that you need to buy each variation for 30 quid. I simply wont do that. I'll buy 3.1.4 once and that is it. I'd pay a minimal fee for each variation thereafter but not the full price.

I do understand what you are saying - But paying $45 for a ROM chip for one of my machines and the OS/License is not too bad, all things considered. I own seven Amigas, and I have already bought the A500 version and A4000 version. I don't feel bad at all using the same ROM's on both my 500's and 2000's - I never use them all at one time, but I will buy one more version for my A1200 when I get around to it.

I only wish some of that money went to the guys who did all the development instead of all going to Hyperion.

[Dynamic_Computing]

Just finished my latest video on this very topic, so I thought I would drop it here, too.

A new 10 Minute Amiga Retro Cast is up! This week, I discuss (READ: Rant) about the buyout of the Amiga Inc. assets by Cloanto on February 1st. How will this affect the sales of Amiga OS 3.1.4? Will this mean a new day of Amiga Goodness is on the horizon? Or another 15 years of stagnation? Join me as I go over the pros and cons of this new development.

[Mr.Toast]

Good video on the subject, Doug. I couldn't agree more-its a real shame all this fighting over scraps has become. I really wish they embraced an open source model, but that in and of itself is a potential for abuse and further fragmentation.

I'm not really a fan of Hyperion's direction they've taken the Amiga NG stuff but I know it has some die hards who really like that platform. And Treavor's a very personable guy to drink some Scotch and talk about geo politics with. But its not just my cup of tea even though I own a 4.1 license. Hyperion has also been a show sponsor for AmiWest and is anticipated being at the 2019 show. I hope they do make it as I like to see what they are cooking up still. That being said, Cloanto has, to my knowledge, never been a contributor to that event. At least not in contemporary history.

Cloanto seems like they're scheming something and the more I think about what you said in your video, the more it seems plausible they're setting the stage for an Amiga Mini by securing all the licensing rights back. I wouldn't be surprised if they're just getting a few pennies from their contribution to the C64 mini project, but it likely opened their eyes to what is possible if they outright own the Amiga trademark. All conjecture-but within the realm of plausibility.

Thanks for the solid content. You're starting to get more and more comfortable in front of the camera and I look forward to your next episodes!

-Toast