48 in 1 10XX in 1 arcade cabinets

[fuadramsey]

Are the games that come with the 48 in 1 and 10XXX in 1 cabinets licensed?

Are they legal?

[kayoteq]

Depending on the brand, and I think there's really just one.. (Game Not Over)

 No and No.
This is why this is a non-topic on here as far as I can tell..
 
It's a bit of retro video gaming indeed- it's a bootleg board..
copyrights have been removed from the games programs..

Even the local store's multicade has not a copyright to be seen anywhere on the cab or the video.
What annoys me about that one, though, is they charge 50 cents.

I'd buy a *legit* z80a-based multigame board in a second if it promised proper program execution and programmability.

[CheffoJeffo]

I'd buy a *legit* z80a-based multigame board in a second if it promised proper program execution and programmability.

Doesn't the ArcadeShop board solve all of those problems ?

[2600]

I'd buy a *legit* z80a-based multigame board in a second if it promised proper program execution and programmability.

Doesn't the ArcadeShop board solve all of those problems ?

The Arcadeshop board is still emulation and when used has unlicensed ROMs.

[CheffoJeffo]

Good points.

And I guess that the ROMS wouldn't be officially licensed in the US, although I leave the legalities of dumping your own ROMs for use in emulation to others (the laws here are different than the laws in the US, for example).

[2600]

Good points.

And I guess that the ROMS wouldn't be officially licensed in the US, although I leave the legalities of dumping your own ROMs for use in emulation to others (the laws here are different than the laws in the US, for example).

I hear what you are saying, but didn't even think of touching that aspect of it.

[Green Giant]

Well, technically the roms are unlicensed, but to have them on the board themselves doesn't really break any laws except for recent games.  Use of old games that aren't readily available from the manufacturer is allowed in the US now.

[2600]

Well, technically the roms are unlicensed, but to have them on the board themselves doesn't really break any laws except for recent games.  Use of old games that aren't readily available from the manufacturer is allowed in the US now.

And that's my cue to leave the thread.

[Jdurg]

Well, technically the roms are unlicensed, but to have them on the board themselves doesn't really break any laws except for recent games.  Use of old games that aren't readily available from the manufacturer is allowed in the US now.

Really?  Do you have a link stating when the copyright laws up and disappeared for old games?

(Not trying to be a dick.  Just honestly curious if they did suddenly remove copyright laws because if they did then any lawsuits that Namco or any other game company has regarding their old games would be dead).

[saint]

Well, technically the roms are unlicensed, but to have them on the board themselves doesn't really break any laws except for recent games.  Use of old games that aren't readily available from the manufacturer is allowed in the US now.

This could not possibly be more wrong. If you are basing this on the DMCA and various rulings on it recently, you have misunderstood it.

[fuadramsey]

I did not want to get people heated, I just wanted to know if there was a way I could sell an emulator cabinet with licensed ROMS.

I run MAME and have an understanding of the Roms legality, but know little about the 48 in 1 game boards other than it looks like a board with roms on it.

I was thinking there were licensed games on it.

Anybody care to set this straigt?


Thanks.

[2600]

The 39 in 1, 48 in 1, 60 in 1, 1xxx in 1 all run an unlicensed copy of MAME with unlicensed copies of ROMs.

[shardian]

You CAN load up on arcade anthologies that are PC based. I think some even have coin-op capability. Midway Arcade Treasures for PS2 had a dedicated coin-up button, so I would assume the pc version would too.

[kagaden]

You can get a nice PC CP and 14 Licensed Capcom roms with the Hotrod

http://www.hanaho.com/Products/HotRodJoystick.php

Includes software; "Capcom Coin-Op Classics" - 14 Capcom ROMS. (1941 - Block Block - Commando - Exed Exes - Ghouls'n Ghosts - Magic Sword - Mercs - Sections Z - Side Arms - Son Son - Street Fighter (Hyper Fighting) - Strider - U. N. Squadron - Varth)

[saint]

And you still can't use it commercially as far as I know. Not licensed for that, and you have to get other licensing as well.

[SavannahLion]

Well, technically the roms are unlicensed, but to have them on the board themselves doesn't really break any laws except for recent games.  Use of old games that aren't readily available from the manufacturer is allowed in the US now.

This could not possibly be more wrong. If you are basing this on the DMCA and various rulings on it recently, you have misunderstood it.

I haven't even heard of any recent DMCA (or other) rulings that could be remotely mistaken for that. Any idea which rulings GG might have been talking about?

[RayB]

I haven't even heard of any recent DMCA (or other) rulings that could be remotely mistaken for that. Any idea which rulings GG might have been talking about?

I feel fairly confident he's misinterpreting the DMCA exceptions for circumventing and reverse-engineering locks, encryptions and other such measures in "obsolete" software for the purposes of archiving and/or continued legitimate use of the software.

Example: 3D Studio 4 used a hardware dongle to function. Say you bought this software back in 1993 and now this dongle no longer worked or was lost (and of course it is no longer available from its original manufacturer) you would be within your rights, as a legitimate owner of 3D Studio 4, to hack the software such as to bypass the need for the dongle.

Note that in that example, you purchased the software. It is yours. The exemption applies to you. It does not apply to your friend to whom you wish to just give a copy of the software to.

The DMCA normally makes such hacking completely illegal (it's part of why here in Canada we are fighting very hard against a DMCA style copyright bill that big American corporations and American government are pushing us to adopt. The DMCA over-reaches beyond simple "copy" "rights".)

IANAL

[pointdablame]

Well, technically the roms are unlicensed, but to have them on the board themselves doesn't really break any laws except for recent games.  Use of old games that aren't readily available from the manufacturer is allowed in the US now.

I'll have a double of whatever this guy is having please.....

[Singapura]

Well, technically the roms are unlicensed, but to have them on the board themselves doesn't really break any laws except for recent games.  Use of old games that aren't readily available from the manufacturer is allowed in the US now.

I'll have a double of whatever this guy is having please.....

Make that a triple. If a rom isn't available from the manufacturer, the license remains valid until it expires. Even then, certain aspects of the rom can be licensed in other ways. Take for instance Donkey Kong. Even if the original DK rom isn't made any more, the usage of the DK characters is still protected and Nintendo is making loads of money from them.

[SavannahLion]

I haven't even heard of any recent DMCA (or other) rulings that could be remotely mistaken for that. Any idea which rulings GG might have been talking about?

I feel fairly confident he's misinterpreting the DMCA exceptions for circumventing and reverse-engineering locks, encryptions and other such measures in "obsolete" software for the purposes of archiving and/or continued legitimate use of the software.

Thank you. Took me a while to locate the sections in question.

Make that a triple. If a rom isn't available from the manufacturer, the license remains valid until it expires. Even then, certain aspects of the rom can be licensed in other ways. Take for instance Donkey Kong. Even if the original DK rom isn't made any more, the usage of the DK characters is still protected and Nintendo is making loads of money from them.

Especially if the DK characters are protected under that ---fouled up beyond all recognition--- up Mickey Mouse.Protection Act. Nintendo can sit on those characters until most of us are long dead.

[Crazy Cooter]

I just wanted to know if there was a way I could sell an emulator cabinet with licensed ROMS.

Short answer = No.

That's why the multiboards are either sold without any ROM's on it (making you liable for the infringement), or they are imported from China with everything loaded (which you are liable since you imported an illegal product with intent to infringe).  Also, read the EULA on the emulator software and it'll say you can't sell anything with their emu preloaded.

Sooo... here's how to do it 100% legal:
1- Obtain proper authorization from the IP holder(s).
2- Obtain proper authorization from the emulation developer(s).
3- Obtain proper authorization from the front-end author(s).
4- Obtain proper authorization for any graphics you plan to use.

Anything else & you're taking chances of getting caught.  IP stuff gets expensive fast if you end up in a courtroom.

Outside the US, be aware that there are IP treaties that 99% of the countries in the United Nations have signed.  It's all messed up.

[Lilwolf]

how you do it legally, is you install some of the windows classic applications on them  (midway collects ect).  Then you sell the cab with a few games.  Heck, you could write a frontend that moved between a few of these collection applications.

almost every other option requires you to do so much work, its not worth it.

NOTE:  there are a few legal roms out there... and you could sell cabs with those, after you get mame's permission.  If you ask, and show what roms you are going to send with it, they have given permission in the past.  It can be hard to get a reply I hear.

btw, there is very very little money in this.  Lots are doing it... and lots are trying hard to find people with a few extra K laying around who will shell it out... especially when the cab is in a legal form...  I would recommend just doing it for love of it, and for friends....  If you want to make money, consider moving to the component level.  I hear there is good money in reproductions (spinners ect) and encoders.  But there is a lot of choices now.  Not sure how easy it will be to get a nitch (without it being stolen away by the others in the group).

btw, the first person to come up with a cheap starwars controller will be working full time for 1/2 year filling orders.  If someone could do it for 100 bucks, they will be working full time for the rest of their lives.

[kayoteq]

btw, the first person to come up with a cheap starwars controller will be working full time for 1/2 year filling orders.  If someone could do it for 100 bucks, they will be working full time for the rest of their lives.

someone like This guy? although it looks like pre-sale is $200 with $235 as regular retail. (continues to bang head over not acting on $250 SW (bad screen) mid-90's)

Back to the topic; again, I'd like a legal variant on this 48 thing; blank. Comes with a pin connector >USB and enough storage for x roms. Let the violation occur with the home user. Just like iPods playing Beatles.

As an aside, has anyone managed to reprogram one of those things?

[Lilwolf]

I would LOVE it if ramcontrols ever started shipping them.  He's had problems with some of the parts being powder coated for the last... two years or so?  (heck, maybe he will start sending them in silver... he might have all the parts for that now.)

As the legal side.  They STILL aren't legal.  MAME never gave permission to use their software.  Even if they where shipped without any roms, they are still a no go...  If they wrote their own emulator... then they would be in the clear...