Comment by dansalvato | Hacker News Reader

Comment by dansalvato | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

> At that point, Cloanto started worrying that people would buy Hyperion's AmigaOS 3.2 to boot emulators and they'd lose their market for selling legal 3.1 ROMs wrapped in Amiga Forever

This sort of glosses over the main point, which is that Amiga Inc., later Cloanto, repeatedly took Hyperion to court in an attempt to stop them from developing and selling updated Amiga software (and I believe hardware too, in some cases). I think this has been happening in some form or another for 20 years.

We live in a world where Apple—Apple!—released the source code for Apple Lisa OS, yet Amiga Kickstart ROMs are closed-source and cost money to download.

I'm sure Cloanto has done good work, but in any other retro community, this stuff would be open-source community projects.

Likewise, Hyperion could probably open-source AmigaOS 3.2, etc. without putting a dent in their revenue if they chose the correct open-source license. I don't know if they would, but the fact is that they can't even try, because they only have the right to release AmigaOS updates (which they also had to fight in court for years), and not to distribute source code.

I haven't been around for as long as many Amiga enthusiasts, so let me know if I got any details wrong here.

edit: See Gorilla1000kg's replies for some good information as well. I've met Mike, and he seems like a good guy and truly cares about Amiga. I don't know much about Hyperion, but they clearly do amazing work on AmigaOS. It just sucks that these beloved classic platforms are so intertwined with business interests.

For what it's worth, I haven't really seen any infighting about this in the Amiga community. We get excited when we hear about new releases. When there is news about some lawsuit over Amiga assets, the sentiment is just "We're tired of this bullshit".

You have it wrong -

The assertion that Cloanto harbored concerns over potential market loss to Hyperion's AmigaOS 3.2 for use in emulators doesn't hold up when considering Cloanto offers ROM images at a nominal cost—essentially a dollar—whereas AmigaOS 3.2 is priced significantly higher, making the former a more accessible option for enthusiasts looking to legally emulate.

It's important to correct a misconception here: the developers behind AmigaOS 3.2 volunteered their time; they weren't financially compensated. This fact shifts the narrative considerably, especially in light of the ongoing legal battles, which, contrary to some perceptions, have predominantly been instigated by Hyperion. Given that Hyperion's management includes legal professionals, their propensity for litigation isn't surprising. Moreover, there are rumors suggesting Hyperion's litigation efforts are financially supported by an entity with a direct interest in Cloanto's failure to retain rights—a speculation that adds another layer of complexity to the dispute.

My experience in the Amiga community spans back to its golden years, allowing me a unique perspective on its evolution. Throughout this time, it has become evident that the situation is far from straightforward, entangled in a web of legal, financial, and emotional factors. The narrative isn't just about one entity's actions over another; it's about a passionate community caught in the midst of corporate and legal maneuverings, each with its own implications for the future of Amiga.

Thanks for your insight, you are more knowledgable on this than I am. I guess it speaks for itself that I don't tend to see the Amiga community strictly taking sides, and most are just tired of seeing this happen at all.

Yep - you summed it up best. We're all tired of the bullshit and many missed opportunities.

It's sad to see what the Amiga has become, but despite everything, the Amiga spirit is experiencing a renaissance, with more activity and passion than we've seen in a long time. Interesting things are happening.

Have you taken a look at "The Amiga Documents"[0]? It's all about the legal disputes, but I have no idea if its accurate or not.

https://sites.google.com/site/amigadocuments/home

Based on our current understanding, the Amiga documents appear to be accurate, including the identification of the individual funding Hyperion.

Their actions have caused considerable frustration. For years, they lied to us, fostering a climate of animosity and even hatred.

What Amiga could have been if not for their greed.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com