Legal to own/sell a DIY cabinet with original PCB?

[wordsworth]

I think this has probably been answered somewhere on the forum and I'm sorry for asking it again. I've tried to weed through the relevant threads but they all end up talking about the legality of MAME and ROMS of which I am already clear about. I am NOT trying to stir up trouble here, please believe me. Just curious about what I could legally own and/or sell not relating to MAME.

Example 1: I buy an old Donkey Kong PCB and put it in a generic (non-DK themed) cabinet with no artwork. Is this legal? What if I make a replica DK cabinet with all of the artwork?

Example 2: What if I make a generic cabinet containing an original DK board and a Namco Reunion board with some kind of switching system. How about putting those boards in a replica DK or Galaga cab?

[Slippyblade]

The legalities surround the PCB, NOT the cabinet.  In fact, many games never had "original" cabinets as they were shipped as kits with artwork that you would slap onto any old cab, install new PCB, and go.

So yeah, yer fine with a scratch cab.

[ChadTower]

Long story short... unless you sell a lot of them and made the boards yourself... it's legal and nobody will ever notice anyway.

[wordsworth]

The legalities surround the PCB, NOT the cabinet.  In fact, many games never had "original" cabinets as they were shipped as kits with artwork that you would slap onto any old cab, install new PCB, and go.

Interesting. If the artwork was shipped with the boards then I suppose there might be some legal issues using reproduction artwork, huh?

[wordsworth]

Long story short... unless you sell a lot of them and made the boards yourself... it's legal and nobody will ever notice anyway.

That's good. I'm trying to keep my hobby as legit as possible. It seems to me using the old PCB's are the only legit way especially when it comes to selling the cabs.

[pbj]

Don't bother keeping anything legit.  Nobody cares.