No Preserving Abandoned Games, Even for Museums and Archives, Because All "Hacking" is Illegal Say Publishers

[Piku-Chan]

 

 

Source: EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation)

(Archive in case it goes down)

 

Restoring old games is hacking, and all hacking is piracy, and all hacking is illegal!.... Right?

 

(WRONG)

You smell that? Yeah, it... smells like bull. 

 

No, it's not April 1st, I've almost got no words for this. This has to be the worst thing I've heard this year, at least so far.

This is no different than the patent trolling that goes on in the industry, people like this keep relating things to piracy to stigmatise and scaremonger. 

 

Regardless of whether they're right or wrong in saying that hacking old games is piracy or not (which they are completely incorrect in saying) it doesn't matter, the general public will believe them and the consumers will not get any support.

 

 It's almost as if they care for nothing aside from money and business, it's like they become enraged when they see people doing things for free. I'm done, here's the quotes from the article.

 

"The Entertainment Software Association doesn't want anyone to restore the functionality of older videogames that are no longer supported by their publisher, because, says ESA, this is "hacking," and all hacking is "associated with piracy."

 

"Behind this hyperbole, ESA (along with MPAA and RIAA) seem to be opposing anyone who bypasses game DRM for any reason, no matter how limited or important.

 

 

[chimmychunger]

well that was a long title. but ye i agree with you

[XTankSlayerX]

All hacking is illegal eh?

 

NSA is in trouble then.

 

The laws are in place to protect the companies and government itself, not you the citizen is what I'm getting.

[lukky211111]

OH behave!

[Trik'Stari]

"We don't want these games preserved, because we then wouldn't be able to sell them back to you.....for some reason"

 

*facedesk*

 

I'm gonna go take my anger over this idiocy out on some people in battlefield hardline, brb

[JAKEBAB]

So if servers get shutdown they don't want you to make fan made servers? Wtf they could still have people buy the game and give them money for the fans to do the work... I thought companies were pro's at doing as little work as possible for as much money as possible.

[Trik'Stari]

So if servers get shutdown they don't want you to make fan made servers? Wtf they could still have people buy the game and give them money for the fans to do the work... I thought companies were pro's at doing as little work as possible for as much money as possible.

Yes but once they make 0 money then "OH MY DEAR SWEET JESUS, THEFT, HACKING, PIRACY, KILL THEM CHEAPLY BOUGHT GOVERNMENT LACKIES!"

[Piku-Chan]

So if servers get shutdown they don't want you to make fan made servers? Wtf they could still have people buy the game and give them money for the fans to do the work... I thought companies were pro's at doing as little work as possible for as much money as possible.

I don't think this is the focus for them. Fan-Made servers I suppose are under their radar, so be quiet before they become aware!

[BOT Edward]

I don't think this is the focus for them. Fan-Made servers I suppose are under their radar, so be quiet before they become aware!

Fan made servers can have whitelisting, so anyone with an unauthorized copy of said game software can play.

 

It's not that the intentions are to promote piracy, it's that it can be done rather easily.

[That Norwegian Guy]

That is not in the original intent of copyright, and is equal to book burning.

 

It is criminal.

[Timmy-P]

So according to them if I go to V-stock, buy an NES cartridge, and clean it, I'm hacking and pirating a legitimate, physical, genuine copy of the game?

Seems legit.

[Albatross]

All hacking is illegal eh?

 

NSA is in trouble then.

 

The laws are in place to protect the companies and government itself, not you the citizen is what I'm getting.

 

That's exactly it.

[WereCat]

Looks like publishers are flying on some strong stuff.

[dmegatool]

Was looking for GTA 1 & 2 today. They're no where to be found. No way to download legally for free or even pay for it ! I'll torrent that shit out. 

 

But seriously, can't they just use common sense ? It's like everybody sees what's wrong but the game publisher... 

[Misanthrope]

Only bypassing DRM to play and/or make your own back ups it's actually legal in many places of the world still, so ESA: Kiss my ass.

[Mushious]

It's a shame no-one in this day and age understand the difference between hacking and cracking...

[Opcode]

Hacking is illegal? Depends on the context. Game hacking for one is certainly legal to do. As for these games? People aren't hacking to restore functionality of them. The games are so old and basic that most people either rewrite the entire game from the ground up "borrowing" the assets. Or they create an emulator to run game as-is. The only thing illegal about it is the use of assets. Although it's not hard to just draw up new ones that look exactly identical. You think publishers would be happy that their ancient games (that no longer sell) were good enough for people to recreate them and keep the game alive throughout the decades. Certainly if we didn't have all the Mario copies and clones half of the kids these days would be like "Mario who?". I can copy the gameplay of any old game exactly on point and as long as I don't touch their assets, it's legal.

[Mattr567]

* massive facedesk

 

 

I don't know what to say. What has the world come to, to think this is rational?!

[HalGameGuru]

Illegal and immoral aren't the same thing. There is no blood on anyones hands from this crime. Prohibition did nothing to stem the tide of alcohol. Do they think grandstanding and fear of state punishment is going to stop the internet and technologists from exercising their freedoms? Good luck, this just makes an enemy and a target of any and all who would attempt to prey on the nostalgic and power to those who would bring them their comeuppance. Bunch of self-aggrandizing statist power mongers.

[Nineshadow]

Hacking isn't piracy.

[Opcode]

Hacking isn't piracy.

It's not but it can be directly related. Cracking binaries is another form of "hacking".

[Nineshadow]

It's not but it can be directly related. Cracking binaries is another form of "hacking".

So?

Does owning a car imply you're speeding?

[mr moose]

It's their IP to do what they want with. If they don't want to share it you can't force them. Call them whatever you want but that's the way copyright works. In some countries it doesn't matter because the laws don't apply, in others (like Aus.) you are not allowed to format shift (make a rom from a cartridge playable on pc).  Start a petition, start a company that raises funds to buy the IP of old games and either sell it on to be used however you want or release it free.  But don't go saying somethings are not illegal when they are and don't confuse what you want with your rights to have it.

[Opcode]

So?

Does owning a car imply you're speeding?

And smoking doesn't cause lung cancer? You can drive within the speed limit in a car and follow driving regulations. With piracy it's either an on or an off switch. Either you're breaking the law by disassembling the binary and patching it to bypass any licensing to use it for free or you just go out and buy it legally. There's no in between when dealing with piracy even as an end user that just downloads the software to bypass paying for it.

[Nineshadow]

And smoking doesn't cause lung cancer? You can drive within the speed limit in a car and follow driving regulations. With piracy it's either an on or an off switch. Either you're breaking the law by disassembling the binary and patching it to bypass any licensing to use it for free or you just go out and buy it legally. There's no in between when dealing with piracy even as an end user that just downloads the software to bypass paying for it.

And with our speeding case:

You either are speeding, or you are not.

Same thing.

 

And the smoking example is pretty good. Smooking can cause lung cancer but not necessarily.

 

Same thing with hacking and piracy. Hacking can lead to piracy, but not all the time, and saying that hacking = piracy is wrong. Piracy is a possible result of hacking.