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IDSA Requests VIC 20 Cartridge Roms Takedown
An anonymous reader writes "The VIC20 cartridge dump archive has been taken down by FUNET following a request by the IDSA (Interactive Digital Software Association). More info from comp.sys.cbm."
Of course, VIC 20 users are now going to have to buy their cartridges in stores, and by "stores", I mean garage sales, flea markets, and swap meets.
What is the IDSA?
Formed in April 1994, the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA) is the U.S. trade association exclusively dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies that publish video and computer games for video game consoles (such as Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, and PlayStation), personal computers, and the Internet. Our members collectively account for more than 90 percent of the $5.5 billion generated by the entertainment software industry in the U.S. in 1998, and billions more in export sales of U.S.-made entertainment software. The IDSA offers services to entertainment software publishers including a global anti-piracy program, government relations, business and consumer research, and First Amendment and intellectual property prote ction efforts.
What is the scope of the IDSA Anti-Piracy program?
The IDSA Anti-Piracy Program is designed to combat entertainment software piracy both in the U.S. and around the world. Worldwide piracy is estimated to have cost the U.S. entertainment software industry $3.2 billion in 1998.
IDSA anti-piracy efforts include: direct investigation and enforcement actions domestically, internationally and in the on-line environment, working closely with government agencies such as United States Trade Representative, the United States Customs Ser vice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and foreign government officials and training and educating customs agents & law enforcement officers in the United States and around the world.
The IDSA is authorized by its members, who own the copyrights and trademarks for their hardware and software, to act on their behalf against violations of their copyrights and trademarks. This includes taking action against unauthorized ROMs, unauthorized hardware and software emulators, and pirated software.
Does the IDSA have any affiliation with the U.S. government?
The IDSA is an independent trade association that is funded by dues and revenue from other association functions. The IDSA is not affiliated with the U.S. government, or any other government, in any way, shape or form.
Isn't it legal to copy video & computer games as a backup as long as you own a legitimate copy?
U.S. Copyright laws permit making a "backup" copy of computer programs for archival purposes. However, the right to make backup copies of computer programs for archival purposes, as embodied in 17 U.S.C. Section 117(2), does not in any way authorize the owner of a copy of a video or computer game to post or download a copy of that game to or from the Internet. Section 117(2) only gives the owner of the copy a right to make an archival copy of the actual copy that he/she legally possesses, not to make a copy of the ROM that someone else legally possesses, nor to post an archival copy of his/her original copy for distribution. Also, there is not an unfettered right to sell "backup" copies. In fact, Section 117 is quite explicit in stating that any archival copy prepared under Section 117(2) can only be transferred to another person if, and only if: A) The original copy is also transferred, and only with the authorization of the copyright owner, and B) The transfer is part of the sale of all rights in the program.
Isn't it OK to copy games that are no longer distributed in the stores or commercially exploited?
No, the current availability of a game in stores is irrelevant to its copyright status. Unlike trademarks, copyrights are not considered abandoned if they are no longer enforced. Copyrights do not enter the public domain just because they are no longer commercially exploited or widely available. Therefore, the copyrights of games are valid even if the games are not found on store shelves, and copying or distributing those games is a copyright infringement.
Haven't the copyrights for old games (like Atari & Commodore) expired?
U.S. copyright laws state that copyrights owned by corporations are valid for 75 years from the date of firs
VIC20 = The first computer I ever owned.
...or maybe that's just me remembering my childhood jealousy when I was stuck with the Vic playing a poor-man's version of space invaders, while everyone else was playing Hungry Horace on their C64s.
Direct predecessor to the Commodore64, and identical in shape, though it was a slightly different shade of beige.
Not a particularly inspiring machine really, if truth be told. The C64 was fantastic, but the Vic was just a little too underpowered.
(Spudley Strikes Again!)