Are abandonware games legal?

Not all the games on Abandonware DOS are available for download. A game tagged as "NOT abandonware" is simply a game still on the market, hence "not abandoned."

Abandonware is a complex and somewhat ambiguous term. Abandoned games are not necessarily free; the original developers or publishers may no longer exist or may not care about the game anymore. Some old games were never released for free ("liberated"), and some early software companies are still in business and want to protect their intellectual property.

Despite their age, some games are still sold in online stores in digital formats. Digital distribution sites such as GOG or Steam often offer classic games, making them legally available for purchase.

I try to stay informed about online publishers to avoid uploading games that are still sold somewhere in one form or another. On more than one occasion, I have been contacted by someone - sometimes kindly, sometimes not - requesting the removal of a game from Abandonware DOS. In such cases, I always promptly comply.