This website is a kind of exhibition that hosts information and curiosities related to my activities. It is not an e-commerce site, so it is not possible to directly download video games or music produced by me from here. Instead, you will find only links that redirect to external publishers.
The reason is that, due to the costs associated with opening a real business, I preferred to leverage what is allowed by Italian copyright law, specifically Law 633/1941. I trust that corresponding versions of this law exist in most Western Nations, as becomes evident when collaborating with foreign entities.
Video games are indeed considered ‘works of ingenuity’ and are protected by a series of laws that ultimately provide several tax-related advantages. When the author, instead of selling their works directly, transfers exploitation rights to third parties, the compensation derived is exempt from VAT application. This makes it possible to avoid opening a real business, thus avoiding all associated costs. However, it’s essential to note that taxation is still applicable through different channels. In practice, the relationship established between software publishers and authors mirrors that between book publishers and novelists (and since I’ve genuinely written a novel, I know a thing or two about it).
The omission of user registration, commenting capabilities, and similar functionalities is intentional and serves to simplify site management from a legal perspective, especially regarding GDPR compliance—the European regulation for personal data processing. Given that user registration and commenting features are standard across all online game retailers, having something similar on this site would have been a mere duplication of services.
As the Pinbot project approached completion, I felt the need to create a logo—something simple that could represent me both within the site and in all my works. After a series of doodles, I opted for a version, officially in black and white but displayed here in false colors. The logo combines the initials of my real name, “G” for Gianluca and “S” for Santeramo, forming a distinctive character reminiscent of my perpetual adversary: one of the bugs that keeps me company during late-night programming sessions. This logo serves as a distinctive mark for all my works.
For copyright purposes, it should be noted that I use “sante76” as my artistic name—a name that has accompanied me for a long time, practically since the beginning of my computer career, more or less, which explains the URL and the name of the site.
As for the YouTube channel, I consider it an extension of the website—a repository for the videos I create. At the moment of writing, there are no plans for tutorials or any other serial projects, mainly because I am, honestly, not great in front of cameras, especially if I have to speak in English…