Is the Pac-Man using Galaga graphics ROM illegal to have??

[2PacMan]

Just for the sake of discussion, are roms like the pacman using galaga graphics, pac gal, and other homemade roms like that technically illegal to have.  Since no original boards exists for these games, how could you own an original version of these?  I'm assuming yes, since they using some of the original's game hardware, but i'm just curious to see if other BYOAC'ers feel the same way. 

[Tiger-Heli]

IANAL - There were original boards - someone hacked a galaga board to make it play PacMan.
And "illegal to have" is kinda vague.  You are probably infringing on someone's intellectual property and copyrights, but what the penalties and legality of this is has not been determined.

Namco releases PacMan.  The PCB doesn't mention copyright one way or another.  Theoretically, you could take the board and dump the rom contents off the board and use it with an emulator.  Most people think you could download the ROM and play it in an emulator, but this has not been established legally.

Company X releases Galaga on PacMan hardware.  This probably infringes on Namco's rights, as I'm sure that Company X didn't obtain permission before modifying the board.  I don't think owning the PacMan board entitles you to this ROM.  If you own the Company X board, theoretically, you could take the board and dump the rom contents off the board and use it with an emulator.  This would infringe on Namco's IP, but not Company B's.  Most people think you could download the ROM and play it in an emulator, but this has not been established legally.

Finally, it's not really been established whether (outside of StarRoms) there are any circumstances where you can (or cannot) use the ROM images for any game.

[2PacMan]

I guess i was just wondering if there is any 'legal' way to own this rom.  Since an arcade version of this was never made, there would be no way to own the original. Theoretically no one should be able to have this rom.   Unless you owned a pacman and a galaga, but then you wouldn't own the intellectual copyright for the combination of the two.  Just something that was making me think.

[cbmeeks]

Well, my opinion certainly isn't law (or even worth anything) but IMHO, if you OWN the board of PacMan and you OWN the board to Galaga and you take contents of one board and splice it with another, then that should be legal.  It's like if I own an NES and a Genesis and I cram the Genesis card into an NES (won't work) it's my business.

But then again, it is ILLEGAL to circumvent any encryption for copyrighted material.  So, if a rom is encrypted on boards then it is illegal to copy/alter them because you would have to decrypt it.

DMCA sucks.

[hulkster]

dont ask dont tell.  great rom motto to live by