Forum:Emulators, ROMs, illegal

It has come to my attention that ROMs are ILLEGAL! This could do damage to the wiki because we all use our emulators to take photos, videos, etc. The actual emulator is not, no copyright has been broken on them. But the ROMs are just like burnt games or CDs. BUUUT, under certain cercumstances it is legal. If you have your own hard copy of the ROMs you have, it apparently is legal because you have payed for it and everything. Even though the FBI probably won't be coming around and knocking on your door for something like this (especially since I live in Australia), try not to break the law and download/have ROMs you don't legally own. I own a copy of all my Banjo-Kazooie games so I am doing no law-breaking (Although I did have one illegal game but thats gone now :P ). So yeah :). Cheers, 11:59, 7 August 2008 (UTC)


 * I doubt taking of pictures from ROMs could hurt the wiki as there is no difference between getting it off a legitimate cartridge or a ROM, it's just that linking to or advocating ROMs that could possibly get the wiki in trouble (based on the amount of ROM sites with 1000s of ROMs I doubt any company or agency would bother target the wiki but wikia may disapprove). I also come from Australia so I also don't worry about the FBI but I do own legitimate BK and BT cartridges so whether or not I have a ROM of them is unimportant. The Light6 12:48, 7 August 2008 (UTC)


 * Yep. I think the wiki will be fine. What's going to happen? Just Wikia doesn't like us doing things wrong and if they think we're using things illegally to get legal photos they might disapprove. Anyway, just wanted to let people know. 13:19, 7 August 2008 (UTC)
 * Either way, no matter how you take the images, they will always be used here under fair use. I think Emulators and ROMs are only illegal in the US and some other countries. Not too sure about that though.--Richard 19:55, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Don't push it out into the open and you likely won't be bothered. Not that I think Wikia is going to threaten to shut us down for taking some snapshots from games most of us own anyway, but creating this thread probably doesn't help.


 * Yep. I guess we should just leave the issue now. Nothing serious (or even minor) is going to happen. Just thought I'd let people know. 07:47, 8 August 2008 (UTC)