Slashdot Mirror
No Excuse For Less-Than-Legal ROMs Anymore?
jvm writes "As per a previous story, you can now buy some Atari ROMs legally from StarROMs. I've selected 14 games, easily paid for them, downloaded the ROM images, and then played the games. For completeness, I even confirmed with Atari that StarROMs is legit. Now, I've posted on why it's time to pay up or admit you're a pirate."
Now if they did that for older PC games that can't run on todays hardware.
For example, Motorhead. I miss that game but I can't run it on anything over 98 and it doesn't play well without the Voodoo Glide drivers.
Better yet, Transport Tycoon. I think that game was way ahead of it's time and for some reason largly ignored. Still building a really intricate train system that linked into your truks and air transports was great. Too bad the AI competition was pathetic.
In Soviet Russia, the television watches YOU!
Arg Maties!! If ye be perpetuating the myth that boarding a ship and stealing booty(physical, tangible goods) is the same as copyright infringement, then you are mistaken.
I am so sick of hearing people say that "it's just like shoplifting". If I wasn't going to pay for it, and I didn't deprive anyone else of the opportunity to purchase it, where is the monetary loss? I fail to see it.
If I couldn't download roms to play, that doesn't mean I was going to go out and purchase a Neo Geo machine, a bunch of pinball machines, and a Mortal Kombat 3 machine. Not only can't I afford several thousand for each of those, but I have no room for it.
Copying bits is not stealing physical property. It is sharing, and companies do not like people to share.
Chris Benard