Is it legal to own a ROM of a game from a compilation?

[jfrost]

When I went to the US (I worked there for five months), I bought a handful of games at GameStop for prices most on this website wouldn't even think of paying (at least given the prices people post on the Finds of the Day thread). To me, it was a steal.

I would love to only have original games. If I lived in the US, I probably would. To me, it's not an option. Either I pirate, or I don't play anything. Or watch any movies. Or TV series. Or listen to music at all. Or, hell, read fucking books (fun fact: since books aren't subject to import taxes, books in English are much, much cheaper than books in Portuguese here. Books produced in the country are still subject to several taxes).

Some people say that I should respect the law or some such nonsense, but if the law deprives me of this much of my life, fuck the law.

[RCBH928]

piracy is stealing because you are not rewarding those who put in the effort and risked their own money to bring this game, so they deserve the reward.

You know, it could be a solution that companies would open an account where any one can chip in. People who feel that they should pay for games or anything they used illegally should just put money into that account. Honestly I will pay for a lot of the games, but my problem is that I have to own the console for it and then pay shipping which is a lot of the time more expensive than the game so it leads me to pirating.

i will pay $5-$10 for snes-ps1 games . Plus it is profitable for the company because they do not have to hire any one, pay shipping of products, or any physical copies of any game.

[the7k]

Yeah, but that only works for games that are still being supported. If you pirate a Dreamcast game, almost any PS1 game, Sega CD and the whole rest of the zombie systems, the only people you are hurting are all the eBay users who want to get rid of 'em. The money isn't going to the companies - you aren't helping them out by buying used.

If you want to support companies, buy it when it's new or buy related merchandise from the company. It's like Tim Schafer says about Psychonauts: "Pirate the game, buy a t-shirt."

[MrPopo]

If you want to support companies, buy it when it's new or buy related merchandise from the company. It's like Tim Schafer says about Psychonauts: "Pirate the game, buy a t-shirt."

That's why I steal the music and go to the concerts. Especially with the older acts.

[elvis]

piracy is stealing because you are not rewarding those who put in the effort and risked their own money to bring this game, so they deserve the reward.

By that definition, buying a second hand game is also "stealing".

[noiseredux]

piracy is stealing because you are not rewarding those who put in the effort and risked their own money to bring this game, so they deserve the reward.

By that definition, buying a second hand game is also "stealing".

By that definition. Yes. You are right. However, I doubt that if you got caught stealing a used game from Gamestop and they called the cops that you'd be able to use this line of reasoning to get out of trouble.

[Hatta]

You honestly can't comprehend that there are some people in the world who just prefer to not break the law? Really?

Oh, I understand that those people exist. I just think that they are misguided.

Legality != morality. Do what you feel is right, and if the law conflicts with it, the law is wrong.

Wow... black and white statements much? Go tell that to a child pornographer, murderer or rapist.

Do you really think those types believe what they are doing is right? Do you really think a bunch of rich white men hundreds of miles away have a better sense of right and wrong than you do? As Henry David Thoreau said:

Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience, then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right.

[jfrost]

piracy is stealing because you are not rewarding those who put in the effort and risked their own money to bring this game, so they deserve the reward.

By that definition, buying a second hand game is also "stealing".

By that definition. Yes. You are right. However, I doubt that if you got caught stealing a used game from Gamestop and they called the cops that you'd be able to use this line of reasoning to get out of trouble.

It's indeed a shame cops and courts don't recognize true arguments and choose to behave according to falsehoods.

[noiseredux]

It's indeed a shame cops and courts don't recognize true arguments and choose to behave according to falsehoods.

okay so if you knowingly do something against the law, in this case steal a used game from Gamestop, then it's a "falsehood" that you should be punished? For breaking the law? When you knew it was a law? It's one thing to agree or disagree with the law itself, but I'm having trouble following your reasoning.

[jfrost]

You have problems following your own reasoning, since you admitted he was right. Here:

By that definition. Yes. You are right.

Hope this helps.