The U.S. Copyright Office denied an exemption from the DMCA to allow gaming historians to access out-of-print games they can’t legally get.

“Most of the world’s video games from close to 50 years of history are effectively, legally dead. A Video Games History Foundation study found you can’t buy nearly 90% of games from before 2010. Preservationists have been looking for ways to allow people to legally access gaming history, but the U.S. Copyright Office dealt them a heavy blow Friday. Feds declared that you or any researcher has no right to access old games under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA.”

  • henfredemars@infosec.pubEnglish
    1802·
    3 days ago

    Industry groups argued that those museums didn’t have “appropriate safeguards” to prevent users from distributing the games once they had them in hand.

    Good grief. Some of these games have been on the Internet longer than I have been alive. They are 100-fucking-percent already available on ROM sites. You’re just shitting on people’s enjoyment for the sake of shitting.

    “The game industry’s absolutist position… forces researchers to explore extra-legal methods to access the vast majority of out-of-print video games that are otherwise unavailable,” the VGHF wrote.

    The spice must flow, and I can assure you that it already does.

    • ogeist@lemmy.worldEnglish
      88·
      3 days ago

      Industry groups argued that those museums didn’t have “appropriate safeguards” to prevent users from distributing the games once they had them in hand.

      So libraries are also illegal? Books, DVDs, VHS, CDS, etc. You can replace games with any of those.

      • ArgentRaven@lemmy.worldEnglish
        30·
        3 days ago

        We used to rent these games from Blockbuster Video! On DVD when we had DVD burners and little to no drm! How did it suddenly not become acceptable?

          • ArgentRaven@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            9 hours ago

            I’m speaking mainly of the distrust against the public having access for fear that we’d abuse it and not give them a cut. We can’t have access to these things now, but we used to. Regardless of form, regardless of piracy.

            It’s more of a move to restrict ownership when you make a purchase, that has a farther reach than just games. I could see this being applied to cars, houses, etc. In that you only rent a license, and don’t actually own anything. I see this as just a first step, and the logic they use to justify it doesn’t make sense.

            • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.worldEnglish
              1·
              7 hours ago

              We can’t have access to these things now, but we used to.

              ??? There was no change. It was always illegal. This was a petition to change it to be legal and the petition was denied.

              Despite it being illegal, Internet Archive has hosted and I hope will continue to host rom collections like tiny best set go.

    • MIDItheKID@lemmy.worldEnglish
      46·
      3 days ago

      Industry groups argued that those museums didn’t have “appropriate safeguards” to prevent users from distributing the games once they had them in hand.

      And what exactly is stopping me from scanning library books and uploading them online? Are you going to ban libraries too?

      Actually, let’s not give them ideas.

    • el_bhm@lemm.eeEnglish
      16·
      3 days ago

      Physical books have no safeguards from photocopying.

      I have more terrifying news about museums. We are talking pictures worth MILLIONS just waiting to be photographed.

    • magikmw@lemm.eeEnglish
      10·
      3 days ago

      Wait till they hear of scanners and copy machines. The books aren’t safe either!

      • Bazoogle@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        3 days ago

        Even worse. I’ve checked out digital eBooks and digital audiobooks from my local library. And I listened to those audiobooks for FUN. The AUDACITY!

        Audacity is what I used to record those audiobooks so I could listen at my own pace, btw.