[FlamingDuck]

I was just wondering if emulators are legal or not. I know in general, they're not, but I've heard that under certain circumstances that they are. I was thinking about it because there are a few GBA games that I haven't played in years, and I've been wanting to replay them for a while now.

[Sea of Time]

Technically, we're not supposed to have discussions of emulators on this forum. That's because they're illegal, and as far as I'm concerned, they are illegal. If you want to play the games, you have to buy the game system. Emulators are not licensed by the gaming companies, therefore they are illegal.

[Someone Else]

Actually, downloading and having an Emulator (such as Virtual Boy or Project64) is not illegal. However, simply having a ROM of a game that you do NOT own is illegal. But if you own the game, it's legal to have it on computer.

So as I know it, Emulators are legal, but owning the ROM of a game you don't own is the same as piracy, which is illegal.

This is my chaotic/liberal self speaking here (down with the man, man!), but it's a-ok by me to download Emulators and ROMs because it's REALLY hard to get caught. And besides, you have purchased these games, right?

[Split Infinity]

I think emulators are fine under either of these circumstances:

a) If you already own, or have owned, the game.
b) If you are using it for coding/testing purposes.

[Aquamarine]

I have VisualBoyAdvance and Project64 emulators, but all the ROMs I own are of games I have already purchased. So yeah, that's ok.

[Golden Djinn13]

Wow, I didn't know I had to own the original game to have roms, I thought it was only old games that were legal...

*Burns all roms and evidence*

[FlamingDuck]

Ok, so, say I bought Sword of Mana, played it, then lost it, and then download a ROM of it, I'm not breaking the law? The reason I'm asking is my dad would get insanely ticked off if I was doing illegal stuff on our computer.

[Split Infinity]

I don't know if it's legal, but I think it should be, since you've already paid for it.

Besides, it's pretty much impossible to get charged for these sort of things. The internet police are probably going to want to focus their attention on the host more than anything else. It's like renting a video game, burning it and returning it. Nobody will ever know, unless you try to sell it. That would be a bad idea.

[Aquamarine]

I guess that is not illegal, but how would you prove to somebody that you had the game if they asked? That could be a bit of a problem...

[pHantOm]

When the police knocked on your door.

[Someone Else]

lol...

Internet Police...

Good one. :rolleyes:

[Split Infinity]

I don't think the real police sit at computers all day while typing 'emulator' in as many search engines as possible.

[Aquamarine]

Nah, the police probably won't give a damn whether or not you play games legaly, since they've got better things to do. I was talking more about his father who doesn't want him to play an illegal game on the comp.

[Golden Djinn13]

Hmm....His dad doesn't need to know there emulators if he does a little renaming here and there. :rolleyes:

[FlamingDuck]

Yeah, but he decided he didn't trust me enough to give me an admin account, so I can't do practically anything. Its really pathetic.

[PDM]

F*ck some of Max's rules. Max is cool, but this rule is reeted.

You're allowed emulators - ROMs are what are illegal, and they're only illegal if you do not own the cartridge of the game.

[Pheonix Warrior]

Ok You are allowed to have emulators but if you download a rom of a game you havn't purchased in the past you must deleate it or risk being arrested but cops don't really care heck a freind of mine is a cop and he is the one who introduced me to Emulators. Still I dont give a damn theres a 1/10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
00000000
chance of being caught.

[PDM]

Pheonix warrior all your spelling mistakes are belong to us !!!

[Neon]

Pheonix Warrior, on Jan 3 2007, 11:39 PM, said:

Ok You are allowed to have emulators but if you download a rom of a game you havn't purchased in the past...

Uh, if you have the rom of any game you do not currently own, it is illegal. The loophole is that you might be keeping the rom as a backup or something ridiculous ;P

[Mysterious Adept]

But my question is, Would downloading a game that isn't made anymore be illegal? Like N64 games, they don't make those anymore so it wouldn't steal from the profits of the game.
Just wonderin.

[Lan]

Neon, on Jan 29 2007, 06:54 AM, said:

Uh, if you have the rom of any game you do not currently own, it is illegal. The loophole is that you might be keeping the rom as a backup or something ridiculous ;P

Not so. The idea of a ROM backup is if the original is damaged so that it no longer functions. Like if a monkey bashed it with a screwdriver and vomited on it. You still own the original, but since it no longer works you use the backup. Or say you want to take a game to a friends house, but he has a monkey with a screwdriver. If it's possible it could be damaged, you can take your sacrificial backup. Still legal, since you own the original.

[Toasty]

FlamingDuck, on Dec 13 2006, 06:50 PM, said:

Yeah, but he decided he didn't trust me enough to give me an admin account, so I can't do practically anything. Its really pathetic.

Just do what I did. Watch the keyboard very closely when they're typeing in their password, or wait for them to leave the PC while they're still logged on. Usually, parents won't notice if you've changed your account type. I know mine didn't, and they're really careful about stuff like that since they'll go as far as deleting my account to get me off the PC. Which obviously didn't work since I'm on my mom's right now. =D

But if you actually have a conscience, do it anyway, but only long enough to download what you want. then change your account back to normal.

[Neon]

Lan, on Feb 18 2007, 09:42 PM, said:

Not so. The idea of a ROM backup is if the original is damaged so that it no longer functions. Like if a monkey bashed it with a screwdriver and vomited on it. You still own the original, but since it no longer works you use the backup. Or say you want to take a game to a friends house, but he has a monkey with a screwdriver. If it's possible it could be damaged, you can take your sacrificial backup. Still legal, since you own the original.

I fail to see how that is any different to what I was saying =\.

I was just pointing out that you must still own the original copy for it to be legal. You can't, for example, buy a game, download the rom, then sell the game :P

[Lan]

I was talking about how you said keeping backups was ridiculous, then pointed out what the backup could be used for. You are correct, though.

[FlamingDuck]

Neon, on Feb 19 2007, 10:00 AM, said:

I fail to see how that is any different to what I was saying =\.

I was just pointing out that you must still own the original copy for it to be legal. You can't, for example, buy a game, download the rom, then sell the game :)

But can you buy the game, lose the game, and then download the rom? I suppose I might still own it...Doubtful, but it could be under my bed somewhere...

And Mr. T, I know an easier way to do that...

[Lan]

No. If the original is no longer within your possession, legally you should no longer have the backup. Of course, no one would ever enforce this.

[Toasty]

FlamingDuck, on Feb 21 2007, 04:32 AM, said:

And Mr. T, I know an easier way to do that...

TELL ME! PLEASE!! *shakse FD violently* But seriuosly, I'm really curious.

[Someone Else]

Mysterious Adept, on Feb 18 2007, 02:12 AM, said:

But my question is, Would downloading a game that isn't made anymore be illegal? Like N64 games, they don't make those anymore so it wouldn't steal from the profits of the game.
Just wonderin.

Probably, because you could still buy legal, physical copies of the game used at a store like GameStop or GameCrazy or something.

Some N64 games are up for grabs with the Wii's virtual console. So if you tried to get a ROM of Mario 64 at the time that I'm writing this, it would definetly be illegal.