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Starroms
SirPoonga:
--- Quote from: Havok on August 11, 2005, 03:30:35 pm ---That's the thing - I think this is a common misconception. You can't download them, you have to back them up yourself. Difficult to disprove, however I think that is the main stipulation.
--- End quote ---
True, it needs ot be a backup of your copy. However, since most arcade games don't have a unique identifier in the software what your burn from your PCB is going to be the same as what someone else burns. So there is no way to know if it came from you or not.
I could get the same chips (or modern compatible) that my asteroids uses, burn the software from starroms onto them ,and plug them into my pcb. It should work. It's the same code, nothing unique from machine to machine about it. No registration key or what have you like computer software.
Very few and mostly more modern games have some sort of way of telling if software was taken out or some unique identifier per chip burned.
The funny thing is it wouldn't be impossible to completely make my own asteroids with vector monitor. The hardest part is finding a tub and possible a yoke that mounts to the tube. Otherwise for asteroids all the schematics are out there (see my asteroids post in arcade misc). It would just require understanding the schematics, finding the parts, burning the roms.
Adeptus:
--- Quote from: SirPoonga on August 11, 2005, 03:25:27 pm ---If you own the PCB that's a grey area. The purpose of allowing one backup of software is so you can run off that backup instead of the original so you don't ruin the original. It's not incase you loose/damage the original, then the backup is no longer valid since it's original doesn't exist. And that's the grey area, a rom backup can't really be used in place.
--- End quote ---
I believe that there's a clause in the DMCA that says if the original hardware required to run the software is obsolete (ie no longer supported) you are allowed to transfer that software to another format in order to run it on current hardware, ie if you own an arcade PCB (or at least the ROM chips since they contain the software) then you are allowed to copy the ROMs to computer & play by emulator.
This was added after some people expressed concern about the amount of software that would be 'lost' due to all the original media, and hardware required to read it, failing.
(so from my understanding this covers all retro consoles & everything up to 5.25" PC floppy disks)
You must still legally own the original, even if it's unusable ::)
Note this is a US law only. Europe have a different one (similar I think) and we in Australia are still in the dark ages... can't legally backup your own music CDs... :police:
SirPoonga:
--- Quote from: Adeptus on August 11, 2005, 07:48:21 pm ---
--- Quote from: SirPoonga on August 11, 2005, 03:25:27 pm ---If you own the PCB that's a grey area. The purpose of allowing one backup of software is so you can run off that backup instead of the original so you don't ruin the original. It's not incase you loose/damage the original, then the backup is no longer valid since it's original doesn't exist. And that's the grey area, a rom backup can't really be used in place.
--- End quote ---
I believe that there's a clause in the DMCA that says if the original hardware required to run the software is obsolete (ie no longer supported) you are allowed to transfer that software to another format in order to run it on current hardware, ie if you own an arcade PCB (or at least the ROM chips since they contain the software) then you are allowed to copy the ROMs to computer & play by emulator.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, again, needs to be battled in court to determine what obsolete actually means. Z80 processors are still around and popular (in robotics) so the hardware for many arcade games is still available.
ultramagnus:
--- Quote from: SirPoonga on August 11, 2005, 10:28:36 pm ---
--- Quote from: Adeptus on August 11, 2005, 07:48:21 pm ---
--- Quote from: SirPoonga on August 11, 2005, 03:25:27 pm ---If you own the PCB that's a grey area. The purpose of allowing one backup of software is so you can run off that backup instead of the original so you don't ruin the original. It's not incase you loose/damage the original, then the backup is no longer valid since it's original doesn't exist. And that's the grey area, a rom backup can't really be used in place.
--- End quote ---
I believe that there's a clause in the DMCA that says if the original hardware required to run the software is obsolete (ie no longer supported) you are allowed to transfer that software to another format in order to run it on current hardware, ie if you own an arcade PCB (or at least the ROM chips since they contain the software) then you are allowed to copy the ROMs to computer & play by emulator.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, again, needs to be battled in court to determine what obsolete actually means. Z80 processors are still around and popular (in robotics) so the hardware for many arcade games is still available.
--- End quote ---
really, obsolete means "no longer produced or supported with spares", but that is open to interpretation, ie, does it mean every single resistor and chip on the board or whole boards and components
SirPoonga:
Right, that's my point. You need to have a good definition of obsolete. The one in the act is too vague.
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