Hacking Debate - It's legal play injected wads of games that you already o

[OriginalHamster]

That comes to my mind becuase the NUS downloader debate. The thing is, I have for example a copy of a N64 cartridge, it's legal if I download a wad to play the same game that I already own, but on other platform? How law operates in those cases?

 

[Lacius]

It's not legal, but it's not unethical.

 

[Hyro-Sama]

Please change the topic title to "Discussion". Debates with Nintendo related topics always turn into flamewars. Even worse is also you're asking about piracy laws. Forum Thread + Nintendo + Piracy = Flamewar.

 

[DeadlyFoez]

^^+1
It's not legal.

Even if you own the cartridge and dump the game yourself, and own the VC game legally and dump that yourself, and inject the desired game into the VC wad, it is still a grey area. It can be argued in court and you would probably win if you proved that you had paid for both games, but you'd also have to prove that you never shared it with anyone.

I'm sure many people will have ways of turning it to be possibly illegal, but I know that Nintendo does not agree with it, but they also wont hunt you down for it.

I'd really like to hear other peoples opinions who do have more knowledge in this area.

Grey areas does not mean legal.

Please the topic title to "Discussion". Debates with Nintendo related topics always turn into flamewars. Even worse is also you're asking about piracy laws. Forum Thread + Nintendo + Piracy = Flamewar.

The other thread has not turned into a flame war. It seems people on GBAtemp are finally being adult about things (including myself).

 

[Foxi4]

It is legal in certain countries, refer to your country's copyright law, look for clauses about the use of a program you own on various platforms.

As an example I will give you a summary of the Polish Copyright Act's take on the issue - "A user is entitled to do whatever it takes with his purchased software to launch it on the platform he owns" and "purchased software may be used simultainously only on the equal or lesser ammount of devices specified in the bundled license".

This basically means that if you own a SNES game, you are perfectly entitled to play a ROM version of it (necessary to launch it on the platform in question) as long as you do not simultainously launch the game on more then one system.

 

[BORTZ]

HS has this covered. Anything that has to do with getting something you dont already own is illegal, depending on your country. Furthermore, companies do not condone piracy, even if you own it legally in another form.

 

[Lucif3r]

This basically means that if you own a SNES game, you are perfectly entitled to play a ROM version of it (necessary to launch it on the platform in question) as long as you do not simultainously launch the game on more then one system.

Yes, thats correct. Just to clarify: You may only play a ROM version of the game from that specific console you own the game on. So if you have Super Mario for NES, you are allowed to play Super Mario NES ROMs, but you are NOT allowed to play a VC port, gba port or whatever.

 

[DeadlyFoez]

This basically means that if you own a SNES game, you are perfectly entitled to play a ROM version of it (necessary to launch it on the platform in question) as long as you do not simultainously launch the game on more then one system.

Yes, thats correct. Just to clarify: You may only play a ROM version of the game from that specific console you own the game on. So if you have Super Mario for NES, you are allowed to play Super Mario NES ROMs, but you are NOT allowed to play a VC port, gba port or whatever.

Nintendo certainly does not agree with it, but then again, they don't write the law.

 

[megazig]

it's not legal to download the wad of the game. the wad has more than just the copy of the original game that you bought.
this is without consideration for whether you can download a copy as opposed to make it yourself

 

[Foxi4]

This basically means that if you own a SNES game, you are perfectly entitled to play a ROM version of it (necessary to launch it on the platform in question) as long as you do not simultainously launch the game on more then one system.

Yes, thats correct. Just to clarify: You may only play a ROM version of the game from that specific console you own the game on. So if you have Super Mario for NES, you are allowed to play Super Mario NES ROMs, but you are NOT allowed to play a VC port, gba port or whatever.

Nintendo certainly does not agree with it, but then again, they don't write the law.

I don't care what Nintendo thinks of my activities to be perfectly honest.

Emulation is perfectly legal in Poland provided that you have the original game, although of course everything depends on how you interpret the law. To me it's two straight-forward clauses and seeing that I've read through the entire document and its subsequent revisions, I know there's nothing in it that would strip me of that priviledge.

Emulation is the equivalent of buying an Audio CD, ripping its tracks and putting them on an MP3 player - it's utilizing the purchased goods and modifying their format if needs-be to be utilized - common sense dictates it should be legal.

-SNIP! Sorry Luc, I misread your post, I thought you meant something else entirely-

Still, this applies to the thread:

Polish Copyright Law, ACT of 4 February 1994 ON COPYRIGHT AND RELATED RIGHTS
Chapter 7. Special Provisions Concerning Computer Programs

Article 75.
2. The consent of the rightholder shall not be required: 1) to make a back-up copy if it is necessary for using such computer program. Unless the contract provides otherwise, such copy may not be used concurrently with the computer program.
Article 76.
Provisions of contracts, which are contradictory to Article 75, paragraphs 2 and 3 shall be null and void.

This means that I can infact make back-up copies (extract ROM's) of any software I own when it is necessary to use said program ON ANY UNSPECIFIED PLATFORM while I'm not using the original concurrently and if anyone's TOS forbids me to do so, it is null and void.