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StarROMs Co-Founder Talks Legal ROMs

Posted by simoniker on from the legitimate-leeching dept.

CaptMondo writes "If you love the old quarter-sucking arcade games of the past and want to be able to download and play the ROMs for them legally, StarROMs (as mentioned previously here on /.), has stepped in and made this possible. PerformancePCCanada has an interview with StarROMs co-founder Frank Leibly, discussing how they convinced Atari to make purchasing ROMs legal for their long-time game fans, but still making it worth StarROMs' while." The interview also notes StarROMs will be "...increasing our offering of classic arcade games, and... expanding into console titles, starting out with the classic Atari console games."

6 of 21 comments (clear)

  1. step 3... profit? by BTWR · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If you buy a starrom, or 10, can you then legally set up a mame machine that plays 10 classic games and charge a dime per play?

    1. Re:step 3... profit? by hambonewilkins · · Score: 5, Informative

      As I read elsewhere, no you can't. You need JAMMA, as MAME states in the EULA that you can't use it for profit. Starroms no doubt also have the same provision, as they'd surely want a cut.

      --

      God Bless America. Why? Did it sneeze?
    2. Re:step 3... profit? by papadiablo · · Score: 5, Interesting

      If you buy a starrom, or 10, can you then legally set up a mame machine that plays 10 classic games and charge a dime per play?

      That's an interesting question. If it were possible to do that, wouldn't it also be possible to setup an xbox, gamecube, or playstation and charge people to play it? I don't see why this would be illegal, but IANAL. It seems like the equivalent of renting the game for the length of your play.

    3. Re:step 3... profit? by MindStalker · · Score: 5, Informative

      There are places that do this, generally along side computer game rentals. Most pay an extra fee to the game maker for permission to rent the use of their games. Many just say, hey we are renting out the computers, which happen to have games already installed on them. This second process while technically illigal is generally accepted and software makers ignore them, except the few that actually have a procedure in place for someone to pay for the right to rent, then they encourage the rental place to pay the fee.

  2. it's a damn shame by ministerofsickeningr · · Score: 5, Interesting

    that some of these titles would be allowed to die off. i'm glad someone has made the coin-op people see the light. too bad there isn't a copyright sunset thats more realistic for software.

  3. Re:StarRoms? MameBurners :) by MindStalker · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because its not legal, and atari or other game maker doesn't get any cut for their initial work.