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

[Nullface]

Way to disregard my entire post.

how so? I was just saying I don't get why you think it's odd that Nintendo would want to capitalize on a product that they own.

No, I'm fully aware they do that. And they can, but you can't just release something that makes everything made before it illegal if it doesn’t help that certain technology/marketing scheme. We had no official service or product to use these roms with released by the actual companies so we made due with what we have. Nintendo saw that emulation was a big thing and wanted to make money off it. And here with the Virtual Console now.

[Flake]

blah blah roms I have

...but if Nintendo updates their trademarks and copyrights appropriately, your ROM was NEVER legal in the first place.

Copyright law (here in the US at least) only protects your right to a back up copy of software if you yourself make the image from a physical item that you yourself own and have in your possession.

If you downloaded any of those roms from someone else's computer...they were always and will always be illegal.

[noiseredux]

but you can't just release something that makes everything made before it illegal

THEY DIDN'T!

[Nullface]

but you can't just release something that makes everything made before it illegal

THEY DIDN'T!

Per se.

[noiseredux]

Per se.

huh?

[Breetai]

Ok so are you saying I should delete my rom collections that I've had for about 10 years because of the Virtual Console that came out 2-3 years ago? They are just cashing in on emulation. Something that was looked down upon by them since it started. Stop feeding big corporations while they milk everything they've made for it's last penny.

That ROM collection that you've had for 10 years was illegal 10 years ago. IF you want to follow the law, you should not have that ROM collection. There is an exception to those ROMS which you own a physical copy for, depending on the country where you live.

If you had a ROM of a game 10 years ago without owning the real thing (even then, it depends on your local copyright laws), then it was just as illegal 10 years ago as it was when Nintendo started the Virtual Console.

Downloading ROMS you do not own has ALWAYS been illegal, whether it is available to buy on something like the VC or not. Is it morally wrong to download a game that is unavailable on digital download systems that you can only find on eBay (where the company that made it would see no royalties from your purchase)? That is for you to decide.

[Hatta]

Breetai nailed it. Can we end this now?

[noiseredux]

Breetai nailed it. Can we end this now?

seriously, I'm kind of shocked this thread hasn't been locked months ago.

[slowslow325]

I am the law.

[Mr.White555]

RESPECT THE BADGE!