QUOTE(
[email protected] @ Apr 26 2011, 06:19 AM) so hacking a DS is legal? and what if the rom is a copy of a game i created and own the physical copy of?
Note: I assume you live in the USA, if you don't then you need to look up what the law in your country says about this.
As you bought your ds, you are allowed to modify it, because it is your property. However, you are not allowed to bypass any security that comes along with it according to American law. So for example, you change the theme with a hack, without modifying protected files, because you don't bypass the security it's technically not illegal. However, if you hack your ds and bypass security in order to make modifications it is illegal.
For backups the American law states that you may make one copy of your own game. However, you must own the physical copy, if you lose it, you must delete the file. You are also not allowed to bypass any security once again. Do note that a rom downloaded from the internet is considered illegal in all cases, because it is not a copy of your own game, but from somebody else.
All this stuff is in the legal gray area. As far as I know nobody has been sued for playing backups on his or her console. Even though the chance is extremely thin that you are sued (you're a microscopical fish in a gigantic pond), there may some laws that conflict these statements. So backupping is at your own risk.