Gaming A sign of things to come?

[dgwillia]

Sorry if this isnt the right forum, didnt know which would be correct for this.

But, i was just browsing through some NDS Rom sites (Please do not ask me for links, i will not provide them and will report you), and noticed on 2 of the biggest ones (One which i have used for about a year + now), that an increasing amount of thier game downloads are no longer available due to "Cease and Decist" letters being mailed to them threatening them with lawsuits. Are those new copy-right laws finally kicking in?

 

[alidsl]

I've noticed that with Only really Sega games I've looked at no Ninty games at all

 

[dgwillia]

Yeah, i saw it with Mario and Sonic and a few others in thier first few pages. Just doesnt seem like a good sign though, usually after one company does it, other company's follow suit.

 

[GeekyGuy]

If that flag next to your avatar is to be taken as a sign of your national origin, then you should already be well aware that these aren't "new" copyright laws. Companies are now simply making an effort to protect their properties. It's never been legal to download these ROMs, regardless of whether or not you own a hardcopy. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't know squat about U.S. copyright law. You can copy the games to a flash card, but it has to be done directly from your personal hardcopy, and of course, it can only be used as a back-up for you personally for it to be legal.

Whether or not seeing these statements on ROM sites is a sign of things to come, I would say yes. I don't think it will be something we'll see for the majority of games, but for those games that would otherwise sell well at retail, sure, publishers will likely try to protect their property for as long as possible.

 

[dgwillia]

If that flag next to your avatar is to be taken as a sign of your national origin, then you should already be well aware that these aren't "new" copyright laws. Companies are now simply making an effort to protect their properties. It's never been legal to download these ROMs, regardless of whether or not you own a hardcopy. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't know squat about U.S. copyright law. You can copy the games to a flash card, but it has to be done directly from your personal hardcopy, and of course, it can only be used as a back-up for you personally for it to be legal.

Whether or not seeing these statements on ROM sites is a sign of things to come, I would say yes. I don't think it will be something we'll see for the majority of games, but for those games that would otherwise sell well at retail, sure, publishers will likely try to protect their property for as long as possible.

Wow O_O, never knew that. Just wasnt sure if we were getting all of those new piracy laws like Europe is.

 

[Azatos]

All the sites I use are pretty normal.

 

[bRKcRE]

if im thinking of the same site you are man, they don't have anything from ea concerning the sims, either..

 

[50 Ways To Get F]

To add a little bit more to what irpacynot said ... the ESA / IDSA have been going after the rom sites for years, I guess their now targeting your favorite sites.

 

[Raika]

I've noticed it too. But I have many different sources to download from, so...

 

[lachlan383]

Hey man, I dont think that you should be worried. People always find a way to pirate stuff, no matter what.

Think about the original file-sharing program. That got shut down, but people just made new, and better programs to fill the gap, which are now even more popular than there predecessor.

And one of the most popular torrent sites on the web got shut down a couple of weeks ago, that doesn't matter, about 10 more popped up in its place. I wouldn't worry about anything disappearing too soon. There will always be a way.