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.
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.