42 replies to this topic

[retrogamer73]

Before reading this. I'm not trying to start any big debate/arguement here or anything.

I recently ordered a 3DO system from ebay, and have been watching 3DO releated Youtube videos. Some videos talking about burning 3DO games came up. I would love to burn some games for the system when it comes. But was wondering weither or not burning 3DO games was legal.

Taking into consideration that 3DO is a dead system, from a dead company, most of the games were from now dead companys, and is well near 20 years old. It seems like it would be perfectly legal to burn 3DO games, but am still unsure. So any answers about weither or not it truely is would be greatly apprechated.

[Reaperman]

It would not be legal.

Unenforced probably, but certainly not legal. Copyright lasts a good long time.

[Rex Dart]

Why would it be perfectly legal? It's illegal.

[keilbaca]

The EA games are still illegal, like the Need for Speed, so look into to see what is legal and not legal.

Dragon's Lair is not legal as well.

As far as burning the ISO, nothing special to it - there's no copy protection.

The best media are verbatim discs, the lasers are the very first generation, so they don't play nice with crap memorexes.

Always burn at half the max speed, but that should be standard burning anything.

[Reaperman]

One *possible* exception I can think of is Star Control II. The source for the 3do version was released to the world a few years ago, but I heavily doubt that a useful 3do ISO of it is legal.

Edited by Reaperman, Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:13 PM.

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

As with most CD based consoles, not legal, will you get busted? unless your selling, advertising, distributing, telling everyone and their brother.....not friggin likely.

So the usual applies, will it bother your conscience? do YOU have a moral issue with it? Nobody can decide this for you, myself, personally I have no problem burning and playing old 3DO games for my personal play / use. My decision and could care less about anyone else view or opinion. Now selling copies or distributing? That is my personal line I will not cross, others would, that is their decision. I find it funny that early CD media based systems considered the ability and liekly hood of a home user burning the games both too complicated and expensive which it was at the time so they did not bother with copy protection. If one has to actual break copy protection then again, probably going to far but when it is a simple as it is to burn and play I feel it's fair game and again many would disagree or have issue, that is their problem not mine.

Honestly, I am surprised how often this question comes up for various consoles, if you have to ask if it is perfectly legal it likely is not, if your doing it for your personal use/enjoyment your not going to get busted so you need to decide if it is worth it. Some will still go on and on about how wrong it is for you to do or even consider, you don't live their life and they do not have to live with your decisions, you do.

Edited by OldSchoolRetroGamer, Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:18 PM.

[retrogamer73]

I don't really see how all 3DO games would be illegal. It doesn't seem any worse than an emulator, and with emulators from what I understand as long as the rom is not ESA protected it's okay. So shouldn't it be okay for the 3DO to as long as the game is not ESA protected? Wouldn't if burning 3DO games is so bad and illegal, wouldn't the sites with isos get taken down or atleast have the illegal isos taken down? Also wouldn't the tutorials and videos with and about burning 3DO games get taken down to?

Edited by retrogamer73, Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:21 PM.

[Hatta]

retrogamer73, on Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:19 PM, said:

I don't really see how all 3DO games would be illegal. It doesn't seem any worse than an emulator, and with emulators from what I understand as long as the rom is not ESA protected it's okay. So shouldn't it be okay for the 3DO to as long as the game is not ESA protected?

You understand incorrectly. All works are copyrighted by default under the Berne convention. In the US specifically, copyright lasts for the life of the author and 70 years past that. Emulation itself is legal, so long as you don't break copyright in the process. If you own a physical copy of the game, you are entitled to make another copy if it is necessary for interoperation with your hardware. If you don't own a physical copy, you have to license the game from the owner of the copyright. If the copyright owner can't be found, or no longer exists, you're out of luck.

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Wouldn't if burning 3DO games is so bad and illegal, wouldn't the sites with isos get taken down or atleast have the illegal isos taken down?

Yes, if any owner of a 3DO related copyright wanted to issue a DMCA complaint against these sites he would be well within his legal rights to do so. However, there's no economic incentive to do so, so these sites fly under the radar.

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Also wouldn't the tutorials and videos with and about burning 3DO games get taken down to?

These are protected under the First Amendment. I can't believe I just had to explain that.

All that said, remember that there's a difference between illegal and immoral.

[retrogamer73]

Not to sound like an iddiot or anything, but I still don't completely get why every game would be illegal.

I have asked around on many different sites. Most people are saying that it's okay, and pretty much all of the stuff I wrote in my last comment. A lot of the sites I have found roms on, have had ESA protected games like Mario, Zelda, etc, taken down. It just seems like if every 3DO game was ESA protected and illegal they would all be taken down, same thing with other systems like NES. What I mean is if every NES/3DO game was illegal and ESA protected, wouldn't they have all been taken down, not just certin titles?

I have seen that Platoon and Festers Quest are ESA protected titles, those games are awful and won't ever be released. So I don't think companys not making money has anything to with it, it seems that if these companys still hold the copyrights the games are going to be ESA protected.

Before I receive any smart alec responses, this is something I'm not very knowledged on, and again I don't want to/ don't mean to start any kind of arguement or debate. I'm just simply asking a question.

[Austin]

I think you should probably give up now. Plenty of perfect explanations have been given. Case closed.

[Rex Dart]

It's simply the law, and legality isn't determined by whether or not a game gets taken off some ROMs site. A game doesn't have to have an association with the ESA for its copyright to remain valid, either.

[retrogamer73]

I've asked around so many places, and like Austin wrote I should just give up. This whole legal not legal thing no matter where you look just seems to start arguements, some say it's fine, while others say it's not. It's like theres no way anyones going to agree on it. I was just wondering, and if I annoyed anyone by making this thread which I suspect after reading the last two comments I'm sorry that wasn't my intentions at all.

[Rex Dart]

It wasn't your making the thread; it's your continued insistence that somehow it's okay to pirate games because you found them online so it's gotta be legal.
It's agreed that it's illegal; whether or not you're fine with that is up to you. How has this not sunk in?

[Reaperman]

There is a discussion to be had on the act possibly not being 'all that wrong,' but the question of it being 'legal' is very easy to answer--it's illegal. I find it hard to believe that anybody informed on the subject would tell somebody otherwise on this or any other internet forum.

That said, I think you'll find that most of us do it.

Edited by Reaperman, Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:05 PM.

[retrogamer73]

I never insisted that it was okay, I was just convinced for a little while that it was. So I said why I thought it was. I'm convinced now that it is illegial, and just f*** the thought of it.

Edited by retrogamer73, Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:21 PM.

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

retrogamer73, on Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:20 PM, said:

I never insisted that it was okay, I was just convinced for a little while that it was. So I said why I thought it was. I'm convinced now that it is illegial, and just f*** the thought of it.

Do it or don't, nobody cares legal or not. Nobody is arguing or getting upset, it really is just up to you. Many many illegal files and activities can easily be found online, does not make them right or legal. Just do what you want and let your conscience be your guide....or not.

[thegoldenband]

It'd be a worthwhile project to see what has been released into the public domain by its makers, or otherwise licensed for free reproduction (Creative Commons et al.). There are a few things that have, notably a big chunk of the Vectrex library, and a prototype version of the game Red Zone for Sega Genesis (though it's under a different name, I'm too lazy to look it up).

[Austin]

Icebreaker II for the 3DO has been released for free download by its creator as well (link: http://3do.cdinterac...opic.php?t=2122 )

[thegoldenband]

Aha, I had a feeling there was something for the 3DO, but couldn't think of it! Thanks for posting that.

[NinjaWarrior]

Is it still illegal if you have the game and copy it

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

Sure as long as you don't distribute it, sell it or profit from it, oh and TELL NOBODY!..........

Edited by OldSchoolRetroGamer, Thu Jan 12, 2012 11:15 PM.

[NinjaWarrior]

Just for back-up..

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

NinjaWarrior, on Thu Jan 12, 2012 11:15 PM, said:

Just for back-up..

Nope, no, absolutely not, don't even think about it...........I'm reporting you!

[NinjaWarrior]

haha..Very Funny

[Reaperman]

thegoldenband, on Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:45 PM, said:

and a prototype version of the game Red Zone for Sega Genesis (though it's under a different name, I'm too lazy to look it up).

I gave looking it up a quick go but couldn't locate it. (most gaming sites are blocked from here anyway)
Do you happen to remember if it was open source? I love their game engine--but I think it needs to be used for an overhead racing game.