Yeah, GoG needs to clarify on this...I'd need to go ahead and download the game I have from them waaay ahead of schedule if there's a chance it'll be vanishing from my virtual shelf due to this mess.
I hope the answer is a good one, because if it isn't then I'm REALLY worried about all my current and future GoG purchases considering the number of company failures in the industry lately...

With the previous games that GOG no longer can sell due to license agreements, they are still available in your shelf to download. According to others here at least.
Best guess, if you purchase it, you can still download it while GOG itself exists.

Yes, but those of us who haven't purchased any Empire games yet would like to know (I would at least) if they are likely to become unavailable soon, in case we do want some of them. I'd like the pinball games eventually, just not right now, but if they will disappear from the catalog in the near future, I might get them now anyway.

Absolutely, just voicing that message for others. If it has not come up yet, it is likely to do so. (Hence, why I've not quoted anyone)

Oh, I didn't mean it as a critique. Just voicing my argument. Sorry for the ambiguous phrasing :-/

Maybe GOG don't know what will happen now either. I wonder how situations like this are covered by GOG's distribution deal. I expect we'll see more situations like it. Ascaron might be next (they've already filed for bankrupcy, but are still trying to save the company).
Edit: Fantastic Journey is out now, at least.

An update on the situation. Apparenly all the IP rights that Empire held have been sold to an American company called New World IP. Presumably these are the people GOG will have to deal with in the future.
Read more here: [url=]http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/empire-ip-rights-sold-as-49-staff-made-redundant[/url]
Would still be nice with some sort of statement from GOG regarding the current catalog of Empire-games, though.

More: http://www.mcvuk.com/news/34193/Empire-has-no-funds-to-settle-debts