Abandonware

Abandonware is a product, typically software, ignored by its owner and manufacturer, which can no longer be found for sale, and for which no official support is available and cannot be bought.[1]

Within an intellectual rights contextual background, abandonware is a software (or hardware) sub-case of the general concept of orphan works. Museums and various organizations dedicated to preserving this software continue to provide legal access.[2]

The term "abandonware" is broad and encompasses many types of old software. Definitions of "abandoned" vary, but in general it is like any item that is abandoned – it is ignored by the owner, and as such, product support and possibly copyright enforcement are also "abandoned".[3]

  1. ^ "How abandonware works". How Stuff Works. June 15, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  2. ^ Greg Costkyan (May 18, 2000). "New Front in the Copyright Wars: Out-of-Print Computer Games". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Krauth, Kosta (November 2005). "Abandonware: Princess Maker 2". PC Zone. No. 160.