Is it legal to play 2600 roms?

ghosstt · Post by **ghosstt** » Sun May 11, 2008 9:19 am

well, I'm not asking where to get them, so I think this is ok. But is it legal to dload and play them? I thought I read somewhere that if the company doesn't make profit from it, you can do it.

Post by **bicostp** » Sun May 11, 2008 9:38 am

That's a misconception.

They're only legal if the controlling body voluntarily released it for free distribution, or let the copyright lapse and allowed the game to fall into public domain.

(By "controlling body" I mean either the company, or original author.)

Since it hasn't been long enough for even Atari 2600 titles to go PD (I think the term is something crazy like 80 years), the company that made them would probably have to be defunct. (The original Atari is defunct, but remember Warner bought them in the late 70s.)

At any rate, nobody really cares if you download a 2k, 30 year old game.

It's not worth their time to go after people who download a game every so often; they go after the distributors. (And a couple Atari enthusiast sites have tons of games up, and have had them for years. The only ones they've stopped distributing are Activision games.)

ghosstt · Post by **ghosstt** » Sun May 11, 2008 9:56 am

well, i've found a good site with about every game, but I wanted to make a video showing a few 2600 games with wiimote controls. Think its alright to do that?

Negative_Creep · Post by **Negative_Creep** » Sun May 11, 2008 10:21 am

Yes because of the fair usage policy.

GoldenfrankO · Post by **GoldenfrankO** » Sun May 11, 2008 11:55 am

I've heard that it's only legal to have a rom file is if you dump it yourself, and actually own the game. I could be wrong though. But Yeah like bicostp said I don't think anyone would care. Just don't go off selling them. XD

ghosstt · Post by **ghosstt** » Mon May 12, 2008 3:03 pm

Well, I want to post the vid on youtube, but I don't want to get in trouble

Dr. KillGood · Post by **Dr. KillGood** » Mon May 12, 2008 3:12 pm

ghosstt wrote:Well, I want to post the vid on youtube, but I don't want to get in trouble

I doubt they would care, look at all the NES/SNES/Genesis ROM's people put videos of on there.

ghosstt · Post by **ghosstt** » Mon May 12, 2008 3:28 pm

Would someone want to upload it for me?

GoldenfrankO · Post by **GoldenfrankO** » Mon May 12, 2008 3:41 pm

ghosstt wrote:Would someone want to upload it for me?

The video? Do it yourself. Searously no one cares.

ghosstt · Post by **ghosstt** » Mon May 12, 2008 4:06 pm

GoldenfrankO wrote:
ghosstt wrote:Would someone want to upload it for me?
The video? Do it yourself. Searously no one cares.

It's seriously btw.

And if thats your logic, then sell stuff from paypal

Seriously, no one cares.

GoldenfrankO · Post by **GoldenfrankO** » Mon May 12, 2008 4:13 pm

WTF does that mean?

ghosstt · Post by **ghosstt** » Mon May 12, 2008 4:21 pm

didn't you say you don't sell stuff with paypal because they can find your address or something?

GoldenfrankO · Post by **GoldenfrankO** » Mon May 12, 2008 4:33 pm

ghosstt wrote:didn't you say you don't sell stuff with paypal because they can find your address or something?

No It's because I can only use my moms account right now and she doesn't want to deal with all the accounting.

Bibin · Post by **Bibin** » Mon May 12, 2008 4:35 pm

You lost the argument Ghostt - do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars.

GoldenfrankO · Post by **GoldenfrankO** » Mon May 12, 2008 4:36 pm

Bibin wrote:You lost the argument Ghostt - do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars.

He mis understood my reason.