WoAI Shutting Down 30 April 2013!

[pilotguy03 1]

I read on the home page that WoAI is going to shut down April 30, 2013! . I am fine if they stop producing packages but why are they taking everything down from Flightsim.com and here at Avsim?

 

Why don't they leave the packages up?

 

Happy Landings!

[LawnDartLeo 7]

Control.

 

Nobody can use/abuse that which they are unable to access.... which is flawed because their files are out in the wild to begin with, anyways.

[Guest Raul_Hernandez]

It will be a real shame if they do remove existing Downloads, and hard to understand. But perhaps they have their reasons.

[Talek 20]

omg, they can't do that.

The packages are not WOAI's work but tons of people who helped creating

 

they are going to erase other peoples work because they're not playing FS anymore ?? this is ridiculous

[z06z33 781]

Its freeware who cares if someones uses their work since its being abandon anyway why are they pulling it I mean I don't even use woai but if anyone wants to get a pot together to take over hosting fees for the site ill chip in just to keep it open to other fs users

[AirborneZed 168]

We'll need people to download all of the packages and put them up in some website.

[pilotguy03 1]

omg, they can't do that.

The packages are not WOAI's work but tons of people who helped creating

 

they are going to erase other peoples work because they're not playing FS anymore ?? this is ridiculous

I agree!

 

We'll need people to download all of the packages and put them up in some website.

Hopefully someone would. Thanks!

[Clutch Cargo 385]

They made a great contribution to the hobby over the years. Sounds like they just burned out - understandable. I still use there very first releases as some of my AI. Always thought their models were top-notch. Guess I will need to start d/l all the packages to catch up... mmmm, looks like I got around 500+ to d/l, Yikes! Glad they gave us til' April. I'll need it!

 

Some enterprising young soul (or even an old soul) should see if they can take over the hosting, or even look into turning into a payware/shareware type product.

[tf51d 284]

Its freeware who cares if someones uses their work since its being abandon anyway why are they pulling it I mean I don't even use woai but if anyone wants to get a pot together to take over hosting fees for the site ill chip in just to keep it open to other fs users

We'll need people to download all of the packages and put them up in some website.

I agree!

 

 

Hopefully someone would. Thanks!

 

What you guys are advocating is copyright infringement! Just because they are shutting down doesn't give anyone else the right to modify distribute any of the content they have without the express permission of the copyright holder!

[z06z33 781]

 

 

 

 

What you guys are advocating is copyright infringement! Just because they are shutting down doesn't give anyone else the right to modify distribute any of the content they have without the express permission of the copyright holder!

 

Its called abandonware they are abandoning the software and how is offering to take over the hosting cost of their website copyright infringement its freeware now and if a group took it over hopefully itd stay that way also who cares about copyright on freeware since they are just throwing all the work in the trash by shutting it down

[Swofford 155]

It would be abandonware if they just ignored it and never stated any intention to discontinue. They're giving you ample notice of discontinuing it. It's not abandonware in any shape or form. What y'all are advocating is piracy. Those authors retain control of their creative work wether it was offered free or not and can decide on wether to allow it to be distributed or not.

[vgbaron 3,714]

IANAL but IIRC this was hashed over YEARS ago - freeware implies releasing into the PUBLIC domain and the usual copyrights don't really apply with the exception of claiming the work as your own. There have been people who compile a mess of freeware and put it on a CD and charge for the 'compilation'. Distasteful, yes - illegal - no - not if it's freeware.

 

Mirror sites are all over the place - it is not a black and white situation. The problem might arise with the use of the name WOAI.

 

Who knows, maybe WOAI want to make a commercial product out of it.

 

Vic

[Swofford 155]

Freeware and open source are two different things. You don't just get to decide what license something falls under so it can fit your idea of what should happen. The author gets to decide. And from the looks of it Worldofai have decided to pull their copyrighted work off the web.

[tf51d 284]

Its called abandonware they are abandoning the software and how is offering to take over the hosting cost of their website copyright infringement its freeware now and if a group took it over hopefully itd stay that way also who cares about copyright on freeware since they are just throwing all the work in the trash by shutting it down

 

Sorry to inform you but copyright law doesn't work that way!! The copyright holder retains all rights to their work, even if they are no longer distributing it. Also for the most part WOAI is not the sole copyright holder for the content of their packages. These are made up from a number of developers, that allow WOAI to use their work and incorporate them into there AI packages, At anytime they themselves can revoke that right, which has happened in the past, that's why you can't find FedEx package on WOAI anymore. With them deciding to shutdown, they made the decision to remove the packages all at once, so they wouldn't have to continue to manage them after their gone.

[z06z33 781]

 

 

Sorry to inform you but copyright law doesn't work that way!! The copyright holder retains all rights to their work, even if they are no longer distributing it. Also for the most part WOAI is not the sole copyright holder for the content of their packages. These are made up from a number of developers, that allow WOAI to use their work and incorporate them into there AI packages, At anytime they themselves can revoke that right, which has happened in the past, that's why you can't find FedEx package on WOAI anymore. With them deciding to shutdown, they made the decision to remove the packages all at once, so they wouldn't have to continue to manage them after their gone.

 

While I do understand that. Its freeware I mean who cares really its not like the devs are making money off it. Plus getting mad about somone hosting the file would be like me getting mad at someone for copying one of my research papers from high school I don't make money off it so why do I care if you copy it and stick your name on it