Short version:
Some companies decide their old titles aren't worth looking after once they've stopped supporting it, other companies are more reluctant to let their titles go. And: Some company first decide a game isn't worth any attention, then re-decide that they want to "withdraw it" from the abandonware scene. Note the quotation marks here as the abandonware "scene" isn't really an actual scene, legal-wise.
Anyway, as a result: Some game that was abandoned is suddenly re-protected (these are the games you find here that says NO GO).
As for age: According to a deal we made with the ESA, their members' games are off-limits for 15 years, others have a 10 years limit. But nothing is carved in stone. Some games have unlimited protection while some are unprotected before they're "officially" abandoned.
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Je Suis Charlie
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