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Custom Cabinet Legality Question

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pbj:

--- Quote from: IAmDotorg on December 08, 2014, 07:57:31 am --- :blah: :blah: :blah: :blah: :blah:

--- End quote ---

I think my eyes just permanently rolled into the back of my head.

yotsuya:

--- Quote from: pbj on December 08, 2014, 10:24:14 am ---
--- Quote from: IAmDotorg on December 08, 2014, 07:57:31 am --- :blah: :blah: :blah: :blah: :blah:

--- End quote ---

I think my eyes just permanently rolled into the back of my head.

--- End quote ---

Why? Letter of the law says he's right. I mean, it's not a grey area. The issue is whether or not anyone ENFORCES it.  :dunno

IAmDotorg:

--- Quote from: yotsuya on December 08, 2014, 10:26:30 am ---
Why? Letter of the law says he's right. I mean, it's not a grey area. The issue is whether or not anyone ENFORCES it.  :dunno

--- End quote ---

FWIW, in the past I've helped on planning for a number of trade show parties where we were using game consoles / games, and we always secured rights for them. Its absolutely enforced, the question is if a small bar or something in Podunk nowhere would ever be caught. But ASCAP does catch small places regularly.

Where you need to be really worried is a disgruntled employee ratting you out to a shady organization like the BSA, at least in the US. While I haven't personally seen it happen with something like game licenses or ripped off ROMs, I've seen it at least a half dozen times with other software... and there's no reason someone *couldn't* do it for an unlicensed game console, or MAME. And the laws in the US are strange in that an organization like the BSA can take unilateral action against a company (essentially legalized extortion) even if the copyright owner didn't start the process. Fighting it can cost a fortune, which is why most companies just settle up.

If you're a business with assets of any value (or an owner of a business with poorly protected assets), you should absolutely be worried about these sort of things. If you're running illegal software -- in any form -- don't piss off an employee.

AndyWarne:

Different manufacturers have different attitudes to enforcement of their copyright. Nintendo are the firmest.

They have prosecuted vendors of JAMMA multi-game boards in the past and at least one supplier has been fined. I researched this as we planned to sell these boards at some time but never ended up doing so.

A few years ago, in connection with a "History of Video Games" exhibition in London the organisers tried to get permission from various games companies to run a Mame setup with a projector. Many, including Taito, gave permission. Nintendo did not.

Disney, for "Wreck-it Ralph" (which I had some involvement in) asked various companies for permission to use their characters, Nintendo refused which is why Nintendo characters such as Mario dont appear in the movie.

yotsuya:

--- Quote from: AndyWarne on December 08, 2014, 11:10:19 am ---Disney, for "Wreck-it Ralph" (which I had some involvement in) asked various companies for permission to use their characters, Nintendo refused which is why Nintendo characters such as Mario dont appear in the movie.

--- End quote ---

I had read somewhere that initially, Ralph was supposed to BE Donkey Kong, but Nintendo said no.

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