Abandonware programs are called that because the publishers have abandoned them. It means that yes, anyone can download them for free, and it's perfectly legal. But don't expect to be able to call anyone for customer support if something goes wrong.
No, in legal terms there is no such thing as "abandonware", intellectual properties and limited distribution rights persist even after the product's shelf life is over (although today DD services like Steam make that line much more blurry). This means that "abandonware" games you can find for free download on the internet are illegal, exception made for a number of titles (even recent ones like Psi-Ops) whose copyrights have been cancelled and have been released as freeware, most notably Beneath a Steel Sky, Command & Conquer and Flight of the Amazon Queen. All that said, has anyone ever heard of anyone prosecuted for downloading Doom off an abandonware site? Didn't think so.
They are still illegal under most cases, but abandonware tends to come from defunct companies and publisher incapable of prosecuting anyone who downloads their creation.
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