I was just reading this thread on msxposse.com: http://www.msxposse.com/viewtopic.php?p=10363#10363
and especially the e-mail Bazix sent to to author of MSX-BOX.

Quote:

Geachte *****, Op uw website, *****, biedt u een frontend voor diverse emulatoren gratis ter download aan. Dit pakket bevat echter een groot aantal auteursrechtelijk beschermde softwaretitels waarvoor ons bedrijf de exclusieve licentie heeft om deze buiten de Japanse markt te verspreiden. Bovendien distribueert u onrechtmatig de MSX SysteemROMS en is het, zoals u op onze website kunt lezen (http://www.bazix.nl/msx-logo-policy.html), niet toegestaan om het MSX logo te gebruiken in relatie met emulatoren, zeker niet wanneer daarbij niet vermeld wordt dat het MSX logo een geregistreerd beeldmerk van MSX Association is. Wij willen u erop wijzen dat deze overtredingen wettelijk strafbaar zijn en verzoeken u dan ook met onmiddelijke ingang uw frontend te ontdoen van alle auteursrechtelijk beschermde software en beeldmerken. Wij verwachten dat u voor ***** contact met ons hebt opgenomen. Meer informatie over ons bedrijf en de rol die wij spelen in de vertegenwoordiging van belangen van onze Japanse partners kunt u lezen op onze website (www.bazix.nl). Wij vertrouwen erop u voldoende te hebben geinformeerd. Met vriendelijke groet, Bazix VOF

Because of this, and a lack of time, the author decided to quit further development of his emulator and took everything offline.
Next in line will probably be BlueMSX, as this emulator is also distributed including the MSX system-roms.
Also Funet will be expecting such an e-mail soon I guess.

Of course, from a legal point of view, Bazix has every right to do what it's doing. On the other hand, is this really going to help the MSX comunity. For the people that still have their MSX and are developping software for it, etc.. this is not really an issue.
But for getting "new" users to the MSX-world, this will be a problem. The easiest way to come in contact with MSX (again), is through emulation. And if this is getting harder and harder, I can see it happening that people will not go for MSX Emulators anymore, as they can't get the system roms to run it, nor games/software to use for their system.
This way, the MSX comunity will only be getting smaller and smaller, instead of growing.

I think Bazix should first make a good alternative, and get it up and running before taking this kind of action. So make software available for download, make the ROM's available for download, and then start hunting for illegal distribution.
Take a look on how the Amiga comunity is doing this, where Cloanto is selling legal copies of the Amiga Systems Roms and OS.
Right now, Bazix is more acting like the music industrie a couple of years ago: Only threatning sites & persons who distribute the files, without offering an alternative (yet...)

Just my 2 cents!

TFH

What's that message about? I don't understand dutch.

in short: it's a request to remove from a website: software, systemROMs and the inclusion of the msx logo with those emulators..

2nd alinea is about all that being a violation of the law ..

arf, just when i translated the global thing, the Wolf_ makes a short of it...

Here's my little version:

On your website you offer free download of a frontend for several emulators. This packet contains a lot of software titles which a author-protected, for which our company got the exclusive licence for distributing outside Japan. Also you illigally distribute the MSX systemROMS and it is as you can read on our website (http://www.bazix.nl/msx-logo-policy.html), not allowed to use the MSX logo in relation with emulators, surely not when it's not mentioned that the MSX logo is a registered logo of the MSX association.

We want to point you that this violations are legally punishable and we request you remove the protected logos and software from your frontend immediatly. We expect you contact us before ****. You can read more information of our company and the roll we play in representing the interrests of our japanese partners on our website (www.basix.nl).

We believe we informed you enough.

Yours,

Bazix

haha, damn

i agree with Guyer800

Link to a forumthread on msxposse.com

tututut bazix, i doubt you should interfere with that because this is going nowhere

i'd say, STAY AWAY from my websites

{mod: Made the link somewhat & readable}

We contacted at Karoshi Corporation with Bazix months ago in order to get information about the legality of using the MSX logo in some ROM labels, DVD covers and Manuals we are planning to distribute on our web site in PDF format. They kindly (and quickly) answered us, telling us that they were going to contact the MSX A of J for asking them about that particular. Well, for now we have NO response from Bazix. Now we've just quit waiting... we will keep the MSX logos inside our free printable material until Bazix or the MSX A of J tell us to remove them. Bazix crew: try to help MSX developers instead of fight for copyrights. Who knows, perhaps an amateur european MSX/emulator/frontend developer could make a good commercial product for you to sell/export/distribute...

GO TO HELL BAZIXXX

Just some remarks:
1) MSX-MBOX is not an MSX emulator, but more like an emulator distribution with games and a special front end
2) blueMSX is also on SF.net, where it will not be distributed with systemROMs.

But basically I agree that this is not helping in any way, until alternatives are offered.
If the whole FUNet dir would be closed, that would mean a disaster. Everyone download a backup NOW! Just to be sure

(^_^( & )o_O) are monitoring all the new events with interest! Think of the next 2005 show, guys ... the 'eyes' of the scene are watching you!

/me thinks FuNET will need some extra bandwith the next couple of days

Quote:

GO TO HELL BAZIXXX

I'm not sure that's the correct way to express an opinion, selios2000...

...waiting for snout's reply....
*idle

Could also be Bart or Rikusu, DarQ, could also be Bart or Rikusu...

My opinion on this matter: I think Bazix have their legal right to confront individuals and (semi-) companies to free their products of the MSX-logo, as is proclaimed in the MSX logo policy. However, I personally think removing all means to join the MSX community isn't right either, but that is not happening at the moment. People are still encouraged to join the community, and it's certainly not as though people cannot join anymore.

I don't think this is going like the C64 'revival'

Keep in mind that email is copyrighted material

Quote:

GO TO HELL BAZIXXX

Very constructive. I have a slight feeling that some people just want to banter (to put it mildly) and do not really care about MSX-revival and such.