This is why the upload form has selection buttons for
- I am the author of this file and I give permission for the IF Archive to host and distribute it.
- I am not the author, but to the best of my knowledge the author is okay with this.
It’s simpler all around if authors upload their own files, but we know that occasionally some historic material surfaces. We don’t want to blanket-reject that stuff even if the author is no longer available.
(Also of course there’s competition package uploads where it’s the organizer doing it, not the author.)
In the earliest days of the archive, we didn’t have any license terms in place because everybody took them for granted. Exactly what they took for granted is somewhat fuzzy, but I generally go with “You can download and play these games, personal use only.”
On the other hand, there’s that eXoIF package from a few weeks ago. Nobody seems to be fussing about that.