Slashdot Mirror
Borrowing ROMs
An anonymous reader writes "It looks like Console Classix is trying introduce a new old concept to the world of P2P file sharing, at least as it applies to NES and SNES ROM images. You download their client program, and then you can "borrow" one ROM image at a time from their site, play it, and then release it for someone else to use. There are a finite number of ROM images on the site, each one ostensibly dumped from a legitimate and unique cartridge. I wonder if this will allow an end-run around some of the questionable legality of file-sharing... and I wonder if this could work for MP3s, movies, and other forms of media?" I think its pretty reasonable, but I doubt that the industries will agree.
Oh wait. Isn't that what Blockbuster does? Why is this a problem again?
blarg.
When they allow PSX games and ISO downloads, I'll play.
Of course, I'll NOT burn them to cd.......(heh)
I believe this application is the kind that the TCPA and Palladium were designed to enable. In lieu of their deployment to consumers, the rule of "THE CLIENT IS IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY" still applies, so I'm pretty sure the "content holders" will follow the FSC ("Freak and Sue Contingency").
Funny to see the same story played out again and again. Maybe we'll even see the same comments stamped out by a dim-witted, cookie cutter of a mind...
I was created by Jon Katz for the pleasure.
Laws are for sale in this country. Those who purchase the laws are the lawmakers. Lawmakers are part of government. The people own the government. The people own what the government owns. Those who purchase laws cannot complain about intellectual property because as part of the government, they and everything they own, are possesions of the country at large.
If you ignore that bribery is a real force in government, those who bribe get to exist in a
space where law does not apply, at the expense of everyone else. A network of parasites is running the country. The same criminals involved in the stock market manipulations are the same who bribe government officials. The direction of an entire nation is being dictated fo the personal benefit of a small unscrupulous few. This cannot continue for long. While the nation is driven to benefit the corrupt few, it is not being driven for the benefit of the nation. Like a body will sicken if it's no longer driven to eat, breathe, or sleep, a nation driven towards goals other than it's integrity will sicken as well.
For every example of a failure you can produce, you can also show examples of successes in lending of these materials.
EG. Blockbuster Video. These people make millions and millions of dollars loaning out their video games and movies. In fact, their revenues were up considerably last quarter, based primarily on game rentals. (And these are brand new games... exactly the ones the gaming industry would most like you to run out and buy, rather than borrow for a few days and return.)
Furthermore, many libraries let you check out software titles for PCs. This seems even more questionable, since the borrower has to install the product on his/her machine's drive in order to use it. The library has no way of ensuring the borrowing deletes the installed copy after he/she is done checking it out.