Where are the rights to retro games?

[Limewater]

Theft is tried in a criminal court while copyright infringement is tried in a civil court. Obviously it is not the same thing.


“ To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries. ”


Doesn't say anything about securing a companies bottom line.

Securing the bottom line is kind of the whole point. It's about promoting progress by dangling the carrot of exclusive rights to my intellectual property. I'm not motivated to spend years of my life and thousands of dollars of my own money on something if I everyone can then just immediately make exact copies of it.