neoak
Triforce of Something...
The USPO has granted Nintendo with a patent for any kind of software emulator of the GameBoy (also Color & Advance).
Original Quote (In Spanish) http://www.meristation.com/sc/noticias/noticia.asp?c=GEN&n=12907
Google Translation (Too lazy to do one...) http://translate.google.com/transla...&hl=es&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=/language_tools
Looks like Nintendo won this one.
Original Quote (In Spanish) http://www.meristation.com/sc/noticias/noticia.asp?c=GEN&n=12907
La Oficina de Patentes de EE.UU. ha concedido a Nintendo la patente exclusiva de cualquier programa que permita emular las diferentes versiones de la portátil Game Boy existentes en el mercado (incluyendo la Game Boy Color y la Game Boy Advance). Esto supone un importante golpe de efecto para la compañía japonesa en sus esfuerzos por combatir la piratería de sus juegos, ya que, hasta ahora, sólo se consideraba ilegal la distribución de ROMS a través de Internet, pero no la de los emuladores.
En la patente registrada se define de la siguiente manera a un emulador: "software que emula una plataforma portátil de videojuegos, como Game Boy, Game Boy Color y/o Game Boy Advance, en una plataforma de baja capacidad (por ejemplo, una pantalla en asientos de trenes o líneas aéreas, un PDA o un teléfono móvil) que utiliza determinadas funciones y optimizaciones con el objetivo de proveer gráficos y sonidos de alta calidad que prácticamente duplican la experiencia de juego de la plataforma nativa."
Nintendo había solicitado esta patente hace cuatro años, pero es ahora cuando ha tenido éxito su iniciativa. Por el momento, ya se han iniciado acciones legales contra el emulador Firestorm gbaZ, que emula a una GBA sobre la nueva portátil Zodiac TapWave.
Google Translation (Too lazy to do one...) http://translate.google.com/transla...&hl=es&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=/language_tools
The Office of Patents of the U.S.A. has granted Nintendo the exclusive patent of any program that allows to emulate the different existing versions of the portable Game Boy in the market (including the Game Boy Color and the Game Boy Advance). This supposes an important move for the Japanese company in its efforts to fight the piracy of its games, since, until now, the distribution of ROMS through Internet was only considered illegal, but not the distribution of the emulators.
In the registered patent it is defined the following way an emulator: "software that emulates a portable platform of videogames, like Game Boy, Game Boy Color and/or Game Boy Advance, in a platform of low capacity (for example, a screen in seats of trains or air lines, a PDA or a movable telephone) that uses certain functions and optimizations with the objective to provide graphs and sounds of high quality that practically duplicate the experience of game of the native platform."
Nintendo had asked for this patent four years ago, but it is now when its initiative has been successful. At the moment, already legal actions against the Firestorm emulator have begun gbaZ, that emulates to a GBA on the new portable Zodiac TapWave.
Looks like Nintendo won this one.