Would Emulators Be Considered Piracy?

[The Ceej]

Well, Renmiri, what you're saying, in essence, is that you could steal a TV from Best Buy and then destroy said TV 24 hours later and you would no longer be breaking the law. You still stole the TV and regardless of whether or not you still have it, you stole it. You can get in trouble with the law even after you destroyed it.

Same with piracy. Just because you deleted your ROM doesn't mean you're in the clear. The fact is that you still downloaded it, so you're still in a position where you could get in legal trouble for it.

Just because you destroy the evidence that you've broken the law, doesn't mean you're in the clear. Chances are, there's still evidence you had that ROM and chances are they could find the pieces to that TV.

[Discord]

Nope, Nintendo doesn't get to make law in any country

There is this myth that if you delete a ROM after 24 hours you are safe no matter if it was not yours. If it is your own ROM obtained legally I think you don't have to but if it isn't, I don't think 24 hours makes a difference, you are still wrong, it's just harder for them to catch you.

Hmm... what if I rename it. =D Purely hypothetically, it's a different file.

I see what you mean, but it seems that we have different definitions of Abandoware. Since there is no official definition, neither of us is wrong. In my understanding, Abandonware is a piece of software for which the company has given up the licence. You'll find a plenty of them online. Most SNES/NES ROMs however aren't.

PS: It's all good and fine, but has anybody ever heard of anybody getting busted for downloading a 15 year old ROM?

[Brennan]

The law is:

"If you have a ROM/ISO downloaded onto your computer, you must delete it in a period of 24 hours."

But, if you need an emulator to run it, it shouldn't be illegal.
Besides, a person made the emulator, why would it be illegal?

No such law exists. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's illegal to download ROMs. Someone didn't read my links.

I posted that before you links I think.
And BTW
But, when did Americans really care about laws?
Cause most of em here don't

[The Ceej]

In my understanding, Abandonware is a piece of software for which the company has given up the licence.

Sometimes a company will change its program's license to freeware. Abandonware is completely different.

The people distributing old games over the web have obviously not acquired the title to that software, nor do they publish proof that the ownership was ever discarded by the software company. Just because the company doesn't sell the software any more doesn't mean they've abandoned it. They've abandoned the consumer, yes, but not the rights to the software.

This document, as well as the other links I provided are the official definition for abandonware. What you're thinking of is when a company changes its license to freeware.

[Croyles]

I think BIOS' and ROMS are legal if their respective consoles and games are no longer in production (or no longer on sale, maybe).

[Lawr]

In my understanding, Abandonware is a piece of software for which the company has given up the licence.

Sometimes a company will change its program's license to freeware. Abandonware is completely different.

The people distributing old games over the web have obviously not acquired the title to that software, nor do they publish proof that the ownership was ever discarded by the software company. Just because the company doesn't sell the software any more doesn't mean they've abandoned it. They've abandoned the consumer, yes, but not the rights to the software.

This document, as well as the other links I provided are the official definition for abandonware. What you're thinking of is when a company changes its license to freeware.

I say to heck with that. If a company is greedy enough to try and search for someone who downloads a NES, then they should go down like that company that tried to sue Nintendo.

[The Ceej]

Yeah, Sagen. That document is about how no one wins when it comes to abandonware. They don't win. They're not selling their product and it costs them money to protect it. We don't win. We can't buy their product or legally obtain it. What are we to do? The only answer is illegal, so bah. Let them come after me. Even though I never said I committed these crimes. As a PhD once told me, "an implied answer is no answer." To imply that I engage in illegal activities is not an admission that I engage in illegal activities. And I won't admit it. But yeah. That's about the only thing you can do if you want to play these games. The chances of your being caught and prosecuted are slim. I can't legally tell you to do it, but you know what you're going to do anyway.

[Discord]

I think BIOS' and ROMS are legal if their respective consoles and games are no longer in production (or no longer on sale, maybe).

Yeah, but that'd mean that all "limited edition" version of Bioshock could be legally downloaded from any site with enough broadband. Wouldn't really work that way.