Railworks America

When a route is abandoned by the original author does it become public domain after a period of time and the author can not be reached? What is that time limit if abandoned ?

Unless the author has stated otherwise, why not clone the route, make your changes, and if you want to share your changed route, acknowledge that it was based upon that original author's work.

Maybe state which route you have in mind and someone may know how to reach them.

Personally I think as long as you acknowledge the original author and you don't turn it into payware there in no time required.

The route is Tori's C&O Alleghany beta 5. And I have cloned the route. I never work on an original. Tori has not posted in some time and no one knows how to get in contact with her.

I know how to get in contact with her, last words were in February. Also took 3 weeks for a reply. She is out in the wilderness and loving it.

I agree with BHile, to a certain extent. There is a fine line to walk between honoring someone elses work and making a ripoff that you call your own. To me, a simple clone and update, say adding a new road or industry that has been built on the prototype since the RW route came into existence, should be allowed. Where I go off is when someone like Ottodud takes a route and adds his own special touches to it, such as adding a branch line that does not or never has existed, to the route.

The reason I said abandoned is that her forum is locked and there has been no contact for some time and beta 5 was not completed. The only changes made to her completed section of the route was additional foliage and the replacement of the station at Covington. The original being semi transparent. No changes to track, but all signals were replaced with searchlights as no R2 signals were appropriate. All other work was done between Alderson and Hinton and west of Covington. and between Covington and Alleghany (unfinished areas).Also on the GBR and a branch on the lumber branch. If any one can contact her, I would like to consider releasing the clone. Have her PM me at the forum. Since I had not considered releasing before, I have used some payware items in the route. This started as an trial to improve skills and not to release.

Hi James,

As above, Bob has a contact address, but it is slower than snail mail - thats Tori's choice. As it is a clone, I dont see where she would have an issue. B24 was happily given permission to upload his modded version of the GB branch logging areas last year. See if you can contact her via Bob, failing that make the requisite acknowledgements within your route readme and release it. At very worst, you might get asked to remove it, but I think with all the legal changes RSC/DTG brought in a couple of years back in regards to assets etc, Tori has moved on and is enjoying other pursuits.

From the pics you have posted, it will be a worthy addition to route collections and I am looking forward to giving it a serious workout. We are lacking serious steam age routes.

BHile wrote:I do not see where a route is abandoned. It is always the property of the creator. How by not posting anything does that make a route abandoned. If a person wants to clone a route and make changes I can see that as long as it's just for their enjoyment. But I don't think it should be released as the property of your own unless it is totally redone.

I don't quite understand how this is the "property" of the creator. Does that mean you can't add some neat feature and put it out there? Eric's work on Donner should not be allowed? Wayne's nice addition to RWA should not be allowed? I never suggested anyone be such a slug as to release a route as their own. Acknowledge the original author and publish this as a addition to the original. Seems simple to me.

Not at all. That's a silly comparison. Think about it for a bit. If you think your routes are private property then you should have kept them private.

It's quite different than that. Plus in the readme file that comes with routes it says whether the author wants anyone to re-release the route with modifications and their name attached or if they don't want anyone to re-release the route at all.

After finding the readme for beta 4.5 I can not release the route modification for beta 5 without Tori's consent. Tori can not be contacted. I had hoped to contribute to the community that has provided me with hours of enjoyment, but this can not happen.
BUZZ please lock this thread.

I think it has already been stated here twice that she CAN be contacted by Bob, but it may take time for a response. If you are ready and willing to do this, as you appear to be, then it would be a shame for it not to happen for the sake of getting a request to Bob so that he can forward it to her. It may take a while, it may get a quick positive response. You don't know until you try!

Chris

I sent her an email last night. It did not bounce back...