Question about copyright

Hi,
I played the demo of the game- Commandos:behind the enemy lines
and I like it!
I've heard from a friend that copyrihgt is over after 10 years...
The question is: May I download the game (released at Jul 31, 1998)?

Thanking you all in advance, Noboya.

I have not heard anything of the sort, a game is under copyright law until they release the source code of the game to the public, and that is typically well past 10 years and will probably never happen for most games. Video games are known as intellectual properties and are under copyright until the company who made the game releases the code as I stated, the last company i heard do this that was main stream was when ID software released the source code for Quake 3 to the community.

However that merely states that you may use the source code for limited purposes.

10 years? Not by a longshot. The following is taken directly from the website for the U.S. Government Copyright office.

How long does a copyright last?
The term of copyright for a particular work depends on several factors, including whether it has been published, and, if so, the date of first publication. As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an anonymous work, a pseudonymous work, or a work made for hire, the copyright endures for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication or a term of 120 years from the year of its creation, whichever expires first. For works first published prior to 1978, the term will vary depending on several factors. To determine the length of copyright protection for a particular work, consult chapter 3 of the Copyright Act (title 17 of the United States Code). More information on the term of copyright can be found in Circular 15a, Duration of Copyright, and Circular 1, Copyright Basics.

Software copyrights expire after 95 years, or 97 years after the author's death for books. Your friend is misled.

Read more here.