How to make them legal ?

[PedroSilva]

Hi,

For the moment, I'm in the test/choose fase, but after that, I want to have all the one's I choose legal. Where can we actually buy the roms to make them legal ? Do the companys seel them if we ask them to ? Is there one that has legal rights to seel them ?

Would apreciate some help on this, since, even this is only for personal use, I want to have everything legal.

Thanks,

Note: I believe this isn't seen as a demand for roms, on the contrary, but if is against the rules, feel free to delete this post. It will not be taken personaly ...  

[GGKoul]

You can buy some roms legally at

http://www.starroms.com/

[saint]

In addition to StarRoms, check the mame home page for 3 legal roms -- http://www.mame.net/downmisc.html

You can also buy a HotRod from Hanaho and get a CD with 14 CapCom games with the ROMs on them if you're looking to buy a controller. Also, you can buy several CapCom titles by themselves being marketed by SelectSoft  (http://www.selectsoftusa.com/titles/capcom), easily found on eBay

--- saint

[PedroSilva]

Did anybody actually asked the companies if they sell it ?

Thanks again.

[MonitorGuru]

I still have reservations regarding these 'supposed' legal sources of roms.

Lets start with MAME.NET.

1 rom is "claimed" to be free an legal because of the fall of communist Germany.  That's convienent and probably would hold up in most courts, but it's totally speculation about it's legality

2 roms have "permission from author emails" posted. Again, they're probably safe, but what if whoever bought these companies time and again want to claim ownership?

All in all, these 3 roms are probably pretty safe.


Then onto StarRoms.  I dont know about others, but I still have  funny (not good funny) feeling about them.  There is something that just isn't right about their whole payment/distribution model.

There is nothing stopping someone from signing up for multiple accounts, getting all the "free" ones, and then in turn, copying them (since the content of the archives are 100% identical) and "turning licence over" to someone else (aka selling them for a tidy profit on an auction site claiming legality), only to do it yet again and again.

Yes, the roms were obtained "legally" (per StarRoms terms that is) yet nothing really proves they are any different than any download anywhere else.  It's just a gut feeling saying "somethin's not right with that boy" I guess.

And worse, now people are using their list to sell Mame machines/discs on feePay, under the guise of "24 all legal licenced roms", and feePay no longer pulls auctions unless they claim something in the 2000+ list.. all the others they don't seem to care about anymore.

[tmasman]

I still have reservations regarding these 'supposed' legal sources of roms...

Then onto StarRoms.  I dont know about others, but I still have  funny (not good funny) feeling about them...

I had actually emailed the current owner of "Atari Games" a while back (When StarRoms first came around) and they confirmed that StarRoms is in fact a legitimate way to obtain those ROMs.

Sure people can & will take advantage of the system, but that doesn't make what they (StarRoms) are doing wrong.  Any system can be broken & taken advantage of, it's just a matter of time... (Not that this one took more than 30 seconds to be taken advantage of mind you...)

Anyhow, rest assured that StarRoms is in fact a legitimate reseller of the rights to those particular "Atari Games" Roms.

[mahuti]

Starroms specifically states that the liscense to the game is NOT transferrable. If you buy the rom (or get it free) you are 'legally' stuck with it, turning it over or selling it is not part of the agreement.

[SirPoonga]

2 roms have "permission from author emails" posted. Again, they're probably safe, but what if whoever bought these companies time and again want to claim ownership?

Prefectly safe, a company doesn't own them, the individual with the email owns them.  He has all rights and does with as he pleases.  Ever read the emails.  It says so.  Well, Robby Roto.  The other has permission too.  Like they would bring back Gridlee anyway

Then onto StarRoms.  I dont know about others, but I still have  funny (not good funny) feeling about them.  There is something that just isn't right about their whole payment/distribution model.

Been proven to be perfecly legal with Atari's permission.  Email Atari (Midway) if you want to make sure.





Robby Roto


I used to write games for Bally/Midway in the 1970's and early
1980's. One of my less successful titles was Robby Roto.
My contract with Midway specified that after shipments dropped
below a certain level, that the rights to this game reverted to me.
Needless to say, this has happened.

I notice that Robby Roto is available on a few download sites for
MAME. I would like the world to know that as the legal owner,
the ROM images from Robby Roto are hearby declared free for
unlimited non-commercial duplication and play by MAME users.

-- Jay Fenton

[paigeoliver]

He is actually a she now. Jay Fenton had a sex change a while back.

2 roms have "permission from author emails" posted. Again, they're probably safe, but what if whoever bought these companies time and again want to claim ownership?

Prefectly safe, a company doesn't own them, the individual with the email owns them.  He has all rights and does with as he pleases.  Ever read the emails.  It says so.  Well, Robby Roto.  The other has permission too.  Like they would bring back Gridlee anyway

Then onto StarRoms.  I dont know about others, but I still have  funny (not good funny) feeling about them.  There is something that just isn't right about their whole payment/distribution model.

Been proven to be perfecly legal with Atari's permission.  Email Atari (Midway) if you want to make sure.





Robby Roto


I used to write games for Bally/Midway in the 1970's and early
1980's. One of my less successful titles was Robby Roto.
My contract with Midway specified that after shipments dropped
below a certain level, that the rights to this game reverted to me.
Needless to say, this has happened.

I notice that Robby Roto is available on a few download sites for
MAME. I would like the world to know that as the legal owner,
the ROM images from Robby Roto are hearby declared free for
unlimited non-commercial duplication and play by MAME users.

-- Jay Fenton

[PedroSilva]

So ... assuming buying from StarRoms is Ok... what proof of purchase do we get, since we download the files ?

[Howard_Casto]

they keep records in their database and you also have a printable "proof of purchase" orderform

[MonitorGuru]

If this is so that it is none transferrable makes all the people who got the 24 "legal" (aka 16 credit ones costing 15 free credits plus 25cents to get) now selling them on feePay illegal.  Of course feePay no longer cares unless it is callous like 1000 or 2000 or 4500 roms included.

[PedroSilva]

OK. That covers about 100 ... 200 roms at most...
How about all the others ? Any other ways for buying them ?

I'm sorry for the insistence, but from what I see on this forums, most of you guys buy old cabs to become legally owners of the roms. But hey .... I've seen some guys with 10 ... 20 roms with some games not listed on the "legal", buying places mentioned and I don't think they bought all that cabs ...  

Since some of the games I like and plan to include on my cab are not listed ...  

And no ... I'm no cop ....   ... just a guy trying to make things the right way ...

[SirPoonga]

OK. That covers about 100 ... 200 roms at most...
How about all the others ? Any other ways for buying them ?

I'm sorry for the insistence, but from what I see on this forums, most of you guys buy old cabs to become legally owners of the roms. But hey .... I've seen some guys with 10 ... 20 roms with some games not listed on the "legal", buying places mentioned and I don't think they bought all that cabs ...  

That can be a grey area though.  It can be argued both way that you have a legal copy or not if you have the PCB.

Another grey area is Capcom mentioned ina  newletter they weren't going to enfore copyright for games older than 3 years unles they plan on bringing the game back.  basically making a statement to still cover their butts if they feel like enforcing it in the future.

[PedroSilva]

So ... from what I've seen around ... the best way to be safe is to engage the game companies demanding direcly what we should do ... kinda:

Dear sirs ... bla bla bla ... I want to use the game X on my cab. Can I use it freely ? If not, can I buy it ? Where can I buy it ? ... etc.

Do you guys agree ?

If so ... does anybody has a list of the companies commercial departements e-mail ?  

[Sephroth57]

just go to their websites, capcom.com or whatever. find their email

[Howard_Casto]

So ... from what I've seen around ... the best way to be safe is to engage the game companies demanding direcly what we should do ... kinda:

Dear sirs ... bla bla bla ... I want to use the game X on my cab. Can I use it freely ? If not, can I buy it ? Where can I buy it ? ... etc.

Do you guys agree ?

If so ... does anybody has a list of the companies commercial departements e-mail ?  

Good luck with that.... the only free roms out there are due to the fact that the actual game developer himself still owned exclusive rights and he was a nice guy.  Companies are not willing to give away their property.