I'm sure that this has probably already been addressed, but I'm gonna ask anyways. I know there are many threads here of people asking and voting for games that they want GOG to make available, but is there some limitations to what they can release? What I mean is for instance the Janes series, and companies like Microprose that are long ago defunct. How can GOG gain rights to games from companies that no longer exist?? Are we wasting our time even asking for or discussing games from these type of compaines? If this is the case, I would ask for GOG to make clear to us how the system works so we don't get our hopes up for games that have no chance of ever making the release list. I realize that there are probably many variables in the process, but a general description of how they are deciding what to release would be nice..... thanx...

Most of the comppanies that has been faided away is now owned by some bigger comppanies and therefore they also own the copyrights for the acquired game studios titles. Bullfrog belongs now to EA and Microprose as a studio was killed by Infrogames after they purchased this studio along with Haspro.
(so dont await Microprose titles near future. :D ).
Gaining rights for the old games just goes thru the new owners. Thats what I think... atleast. There is always someone who says "No. You cannot do that, because I am watching over copyright of this title..." - hence - there is always someone who can sell the rights. :D
We're not waisting our time here, but I do agree that some of the titles is harder than others and some are just too expensive to get here. Like EA - I dont think that they are giving any contracts when they have their own EA Classics production line. (So here goes our change to Syndicate for now...)
Still - we're not waisting our time. I think that gamestudios sees the possibility of older games when sites like these comes to internet. After this they have choice to give publisher rights to someone else or rebuild the game to work with todays hardware and publish it by themself (EA Classics, Blizzards Battle.Net edition of Diablo, X-COM 1 GOLD... )
So... Just stay tuned and wait what happends. :D

They'll have to by the copyright from whoever owns it...game companies have a way of merging and getting bought out, etc, so a lot of companies are sitting on quite a lot of old IP they don't see a point in re-releasing. In that case, I'm sure most of them are willing to sell the rights for relatively cheap.

The thing that bothers me about this reality is that when I buy a game it is because I want to contribute to the individuals who created this marvel, but so often the game becomes an IP the creators will (I presume) thereafter never see a cent. It's rather sad, really.

I have hope that they'll be able to get at least a good portion of the games we want. There are a few companies who will not release rights, but we'll see.

I meant that with regard to studio's which have closed down. People would gladly buy games from Black Isle, Westwood, Bullfrog, Troika, Looking Glass, Ion Storm Austin, Origin, and so on. What happens with those sales? I suppose it would depend on the terms of whatever contract exists between the developer and the publisher.
Does anyone know what usually happens when a dev house bites the dust? If I were, for example, to buy Fallout from here, naturally GOG and Interplay would each get their share, but who would Interplay pay?

However GOG gets its product, as long as it's legal, is just fine by me. Also, if royalties are past along then so much the better. I like to see the original creators continue to receive reward for their efforts, but if they signed away any rights then I'm glad that GOG has moved in to fill a market niche. They will be rewarded for finding and providing something we all want.

They do? That would be nice, but it seems like it would also be a large pain in the ass to keep track of, so I don't think that really is the case.
Well, some of the old Fallout devs do currently work there. In any case, sales at GOG, no matter where the money goes, demonstrate interest in a title, by extension, sequels or further works from the same developers.