ROMs

[VisionForce]

Why are you not supposed to post links to ROMs on forums. I mean, why would it be a rule not to ask for them or show where they are?

 

[Miretank]

lain:

Maybe because it is illegal, but i'm not that sure... I think you're not allowed to ask for ROMs here 'coz Emutalk Admins want to have all the roms only for themselves!

 

[Toasty]

Commercial ROMs are copyrighted software, and the redistribution of copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal in most countries.

 

[djlarz]

According to US law, you are allowed to have a backup copy of a game, as long as have legally bought it, solely for personal use. That means if you have ROMs on your computer which you own on a real, lisenced Nintendo Cartridge, it's not a crime. However, if you download ROMs which you are not legally entitled to, or give your legal ROMs to people who do NOT own the original cartridge, it's a felony.

I have all my games backed up, so I don't have to drag my GameCube and
N64 everywhere (I have a laptop)! :bouncy:

 

[Doomulation]

It's illegal to download roms, regardless, which is why it is against the rules to ask for such things.

 

[Hemisphere]

You can't honestly be suggesting that all users here have linker kit things hooked up to their PCs to rip ROMs direct from their carts

 

[Alchemist]

let's not talk about that, ok?

 

[Playfull]

the plain fact are the authors and and the persons there runs this forum are doing it for the emulation NOT FOR PIRACY...

edit: oh he is banned

 

[Toasty]

It's true that in the U.S. you can legally have a backup or archival copy of software that you purchase; it's part of fair use. But you have to make the backup yourself in order for it to be legal. Also, with the advent of the evil DMCA and its European counterparts, fair use has been severely limited in many countries to the point that making any copies of copyrighted material - legitimate or not - has become very controversial. I'm sure many (very probably most) people here didn't actually make their own ROMs from purchased games, and used some illegal method to acquire them. Do I care? No. But it's still illegal and if EmuTalk were to allow its members to advocate copyright infringement it could mean serious legal trouble for them, as has already been experienced by many other sites.

 

[ChronusDark]

besides anybody with any kind of internet knowhow can find roms easily and personally i wouldnt like to contribute to newbism

 

[djlarz]

Yeah you are of course not allowed to download ROMs because they are not legitimate backups/dumps of your own games. And I have my own linker to rip them so I'm not breaking any laws. Even though I'm tempted to download ROMs every so often.. Hehe.. (I haven't)

 

[djlarz]

Even though US law clearly states that you may keep backups, I found this notice on the last page of my Ocarina of Time instruction manual:

 

[fhabio]

a question: roms very old can be legal?
for example i have some roms of intellivision
after about 20 years the legal copyright are still valid?

 

[smcd]

fhabio: copyrights in the US are for life + (70, 95? - DAMN Sonny Bono!) years... and since corporations don't really "die" then it's hard to determine just how long the copyright will last.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Bono_Copyright_Term_Extension_Act

 

[compres]

Yes but somehow if one wants an old game is not able to buy it. So downloading old games is the only way to get them. Yeah maybe you can search eBay every night of the week and finally fins it, but that's not very practical.

 

[djlarz]

The only copyright thingie I know of is that the copyright expires if the author died 100 years ago. And that will be a very long time to wait for games.

 

[DevilMayCry]

I always like to laugh at those who bable about how rightous and holier than thou they are for not downloading RMOs, software, games, whatever and how they try to make them self superior to other by saying that downloading is the same as stealing in the hope that will scare or redeem anyone.

For all of those who accuse I have some news: Yes, I do steal things in RealWorld™, I shoplift when I feel like, I've stole plenty of stuff from others (coleges and friends are a must) and I do it whenever it justifies and there's a chance. So yes you are all holier than me, and BTW I download ROMs from games I never owned.

 

[smcd]

Copyright infringement is not stealing, though "they" are trying (and succeeding to an extent) to blur the lines between the two. Downloading stuff that is no longer commercially viable or available (enter abandonware, etc) I see no harm in doing. For most other things such as newer software/games there are often functional demos for most every major item. As for music, there are lots of free, legal sources to get music - lots of people/bands release a few songs for free, independent artists especially. Entering the realm of physical theft you are indeed costing people money and causing harm. Stealing from colleges and stores cause insurance and tuition to rise, as well as many other factors that in the end we ALL pay (hello larger school taxes, etc).

 

[DevilMayCry]

:-S You people really can't see a joke.

Fair enough I don't steal shops (any longer ) nor friends (unless they're pissing me off) but I do download ROMs of games I've never owned. And I do download PC games when I can't find them for a reasonable price (less then 20€)

Now you can all set fire to my house

 

[axcc123]

Even though US law clearly states that you may keep backups, I found this notice on the last page of my Ocarina of Time instruction manual:

it says it right in the text that a backup copy is illegal